


Soul Compass

by Murosaki_Iro



Series: Soulbound Au [2]
Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor is Bad at Feelings (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor is in Hell for a Reason (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust-Typical Sexual Content (Hazbin Hotel), Angst, Asexual Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Cannibal Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Intersex Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), M/M, Multi, Physical Abuse, Protective Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Protective Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Self-Harm, Sex Worker Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Sexual Abuse, Smart Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Smut, Soft Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 35
Words: 63,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26749204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murosaki_Iro/pseuds/Murosaki_Iro
Summary: With a repaired bond and Angel finally living with Alastor, the pair are more than ready to just enjoy being Bound to one another and move past everything with Valentino. However, with Lucifer requesting that Alastor live at the palace, Angel and Alastor will find themselves separated, unable to feel one another or hear the other's thoughts. Alastor is confronted with Mimzy, his ex-wife, who still has a bone to pick with the prince for how he treated her while they were alive. Meanwhile, Angel must face Seviathan, an Overlord he once loved...and one who used that love against him. Without the support from one another, can Alastor and Angel overcome their trails, or will their newly established bond collapse under the weight of their past?Can the abuser learn to be better?Can the abused ever forgive?
Relationships: Alastor & Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor/Angel Dust (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne & Vaggie, Charlie Magne/Vaggie, Husk & Niffty (Hazbin Hotel), Lilith Magne/Lucifer Magne, Rosie/Cherri Bomb (Hazbin Hotel), Valentino & Velvet & Vox (Hazbin Hotel)
Series: Soulbound Au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945540
Comments: 94
Kudos: 240





	1. Taking Your Place

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for the support you gave SoulBound. Unlike that story however, which I tried to keep relatively tame, this story will be much darker and touch on ALOT of potential triggers, including abuse of all kinds. I have tagged all the potential triggers in the tags, so please, keep these in mind while reading. This is very much a story of overcoming, but not everyone is ready to read a story like that.
> 
> I understand if you do not wish to read this story, and I still thank you for all the support you have given me ^,..,^

“Are you sure you’ll be alright, Anthony?” Angel chucked as Alastor fretted, double checking the list he had prepared for the spider. After telling Charlie about Lucifer’s demand to have Alastor stay at the palace for the rest of the year, the siblings had come to the agreement that Angel would take over Alastor’s duties at the Hotel. Charlie and Vaggie finally seemed over their hang-up about Husk and even Niffty barely flinched anymore. Angel wasn’t sure if it was because she had grown used to the pain over the past month, or if the bond had weakened enough that she couldn’t feel it as much.

“Al, you barely do anything here, I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Angel chuckled, pushing the paper back down onto the desk as he leaned across it, gently kissing Alastor’s forehead. Angel beamed as he heard Alastor’s tail began to thump against the chair and he couldn’t help giggling. If nothing else, being Soulbound to the radio demon had caused him to notice all the cute things Alastor managed to hide from everyone else. “All I need to do is parade around, make bad jokes and insult everyone, right?”

“Very funny, Angel.” Alastor managed to growl, but Angel could feel his mirth at the spider’s words. Angel couldn’t help his smile as he tilted up Alastor’s chin, looking deep into the red eyes he loved so much. The spider leaned down to carefully kiss those pouty lips, resisting the urge to allow the kiss to devolve into something darker as he slowly pulled back.

“Don’t worry, Smiles, I got this. It’s just boring old paperwork.” Angel whispered, loving the feeling of love and relief that washed through him as Alastor sighed, the radio demon closing his eyes. The spider released his lover as the prince leaned back in his chair, a slight sense of worry hitting Angel. “Hey, what’s really wrong?”

“I-” Alastor began, but he sighed again, looking away to the faraway bookshelf. Angel knew this feeling, and so he remained silent, as no more words were needed to tell him what was wrong. Rosie had once again saved the couple for her own entertainment and told Alastor that Mimzy was staying in the Pentagram, apparently to practice a new show with Lilith. The likelihood of Alastor having to confront his ex-wife was likely, as they both knew Lucifer would never pass up on the chance to torment the new prince. Angel wanted to go with Alastor to the palace, and to their combined surprise, Lucifer wasn’t against it, saying that Angel was more than welcome to stay with the prince. Alastor was vehemently against it however, not wanting to put the spider anywhere near the King and Angel knew that the radio demon suspected that Lucifer was up to something.

“Hey, Alastor,” Angel finally stood from the desk, walking around to kneel in front the radio demon, tapping Alastor’s leg. Alastor barely opened his eyes, looking down at Angel with a pained look on his face as he nodded, and the spider began to gingerly rub his boyfriend’s leg. Angel closed his eyes as he held his chest, accepting Alastor’s heartache and pain before smiling softly up to his lover. “It’ll be fine. Ya got this.”

“I would prefer if I didn’t have to.”

“I know, but you know Lucifer isn’t gonna give you that chance.” Angel pulled himself into the radio demon’s lap, loving the feel of Alastor’s gloves as the radio demon automatically slid his hands under Angel’s short skirt, caressing the spider’s fur. Angel sighed contently, pressing his forehead gently to the Overlord below him. He hummed softy with Alastor’s fear and heartache, wishing he could take it all away. “Besides, you’re never one to run from a challenge, don’t start now.”

“I know, Angel.” Alastor sighed. “I ju-”

“Hey, Alastor?” Angel quicky slid out of the radio demon’s lap as Charlie walked in, holding a bundle of papers in her arms. The former princess had really begun to pour herself into the Hotel, and while business was doing well, with plenty of guests filling the rooms, no one seemed any closer to redemption. “I got more papers from the Suggestion box, do you mind going through them?”

“I believe those are for Angel now.” Alastor smiled, nodding towards the spider next to him. Charlie released a heavy breath as she remembered, giving Angel an embarrassed smile as she set the papers on the desk.

“Right, sorry. I’m happy we’ll get to have you back here, Angel, even if it’s only temporary.”

“Happy to be back, toots.” Angel smiled, swallowing back his conflicting feelings about Charlie. Just like Alastor had taught him, he was on a stage and he needed to perform his act perfectly, regardless of his personal feelings. The spider chuckled seductively, fluffing up his chest while running his hands down his body. “After all, this place would fall apart if I denied all these thirsty souls a chance to look at this.”

Alastor let out a loud laugh behind the spider as Charlie’s cheeks turned redder and Angel grinned at the pride he felt filling him from the radio demon. The couple grinned madly at each other as Charlie cleared her throat, attempting to hide her embarrassment.

“Right, well, I’ll leave you two to it. Don’t forget to give your work schedule to Vaggie before you guys leave today.” With that the princess excused herself and Angel watched the door close as he felt Alastor’s arms slide around the spider’s waist. Angel sighed happily, loving the feel of the radio demon pressing himself into his back. He had to admit that Alastor was right about tormenting Charlie: it was kind of fun.

“Shall I take myself home, or am I allowed to help today?” Angel glanced back over his shoulder, waiting to hear the radio demon’s answer. The spider frowned as he felt the radio demon’s refusal and he leaned away from Alastor, turning to face the Overlord. “Al, you leave in two days, and ya promised.”

“I know, but not today.” Alastor sighed, and Angel’s frowned deepened, the spider placing his lower hand on his hips as he crossed his upper arms. “I just need-”

“Need to be alone. Yeah, I know.” Angel huffed, unable to help his disappointment and frustration. Alastor had promised that Angel could help him with one of his broadcasts, as Angel wanted to see the radio demon as he truly was, but it seemed that Alastor was reluctant. Despite saying that he would not change for Angel and that he felt no shame for how he was, it was starting to become obvious to Angel that Alastor did not want Angel to see that side of him. “Al, I’ve seen how you look when you come back, it’s not like I don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Knowing and seeing are two different things my love.”

“You. Promised.”

“And so you shall see and it may take longer than you would like, but it will not be today.” Alastor asserted, taking a deep breath as Angel felt his annoyance. The spider huffed, throwing up his arms as he gave up, beginning to stomp out of the office. “Anthony-”

“No, you need to be a monster _alone_ , right?” Angel growled, throwing open the office door, his annoyance growing with Alastor’s. This was the worst part of their bond: when they both were feeling the same emotion, it would bounce between them, growing more intense. When the emotion was positive, it felt amazing, but when it was negative, Angel hated the fact he could feel Alastor’s emotions at all. The spider tried to take a deep breath, tried to clear his mind from the mounting annoyance as he slowly closed the door. “I-I just want to go with you and help. You let Rosie help.”

“Rosie _enjoys it._ ”

“I might too, if you let me see.” Angel asserted, doing his best to swallow back the anger that wanted to take over again. He forced himself to turn around, meeting Alastor’s dark gaze. The prince was leaning against his desk, a bright smile on his face, but Angel had seen that smile enough to know what it meant. Alastor the performer had already left the stage, and now the Hunter had taken his place. “Just-”

“Not. Today.” Alastor insisted and Angel sighed, closing his eyes as Alastor’s anger filled him and he fought to keep his own anger from joining it. The spider stomped his way back to radio demon, grabbing Alastor’s face roughly as he kissed him deeply, feeling the anger give way to surprise. Angel breathed a sigh of relief, pulling back once he felt that Alastor had calmed down, and looking down to his lover.

“Fine, not today.” Angel agreed, sliding his hand down to Alastor’s, lacing their fingers together tightly. “But, don’t try to hide yourself from me. I’m not going anywhere and I _want_ to know you.”

“I know Anthony, and I have no intention of hiding who I am.” Alastor sighed, pulling his hand away from the spider’s. “As much as I would like to take you today, I cannot. Today is a special broadcast, and one I have to do alone.”

“Special?”

“Yes, special. You’ll see once you tune in.” The feeling coming from Alastor was too complex and foreign for Angel to understand and so he sighed, crossing his arms across his chest again. He leaned down, gently kissing the radio demon’s forehead, doing his best to accept Alastor’s wishes.

“Alright, but don’t keep me and Nugs waiting for too long.” Angel walked back to the door calmly this time, slowly opening it to leave the office. He felt a twinge of pain and Angel turned back to look at the radio demon. Alastor was watching him with a soft expression, and after a moment, he blew a kiss to the spider, the black heart flying toward Angel in the air. Angel accepted the kiss, turning his face so the heart landed on his lips.

‘ _I love ya, Al._ ’ Angel thought as he walked out, chuckling to himself as he felt Alastor’s answer pass through his mind.

‘ _I know, Angel._ ’ The spider sighed happily as he walked out of the Hotel, ready to make the brisk walk back to Radio Tower. Since today’s broadcast was special, maybe Angel should make sure the after show was ‘special’ too.


	2. Special Broadcast

Alastor felt slight regret as he watched Angel leave, but he quickly squashed this down, turning to organize the papers Charlie had brought. He was scared of taking Angel with him, he wouldn’t deny that, but that wasn’t why he was turning him away today. _No,_ today was a special broadcast, one he only got to do once a year, one he _always_ looked forward to.

“Hey, Angel didn’t leave his schedule!” Alastor chuckled as he heard Vaggie yell in the lobby and he quickly drew a blank piece of paper from on top of his desk. He dragged his hand down the empty sheet, the spider’s schedule at the Studios appearing under his finger as he smiled. A flash of fire and a gasp of surprise and Alastor couldn’t help another chuckle as he heard the moth’s voice come through his door.

“Thank you Alastor.” Vaggie sounded as if it pained her to say such simple words of thanks and the radio demon delighted in her forced kindness.

“You are quite welcome, dear Vagatha.” Alastor called out, glancing over to the clock on the wall, his excitement growing as he realized the time. “Time to go.”

Alastor pushed himself off the desk, leaving the papers as he quietly stepped out of his office, pleased to see that the lobby was empty. Alastor took a deep breath as he locked the door, gliding out of the Hotel and summoning his mic as he stepped outside. The brisk afternoon greeted him and Alastor breathed in the cold air, loving the sting in his lungs as he exhaled.

“ _Good Afternoon, Gals and Demons,_ ” Alastor cooed, barely able to contain his excitement as he walked. Hellfire already flashed with each step he took, and the radio demon could barely contain his flames as he stroked his microphone lovingly. Oh, he had _so_ much to look forward to this year, with the addition of his new powers and abilities. “ _Welcome and relax, for this Afternoon’s broadcast._ ”

Alastor hummed softly with the soft jazz he allowed to play, his grin scaring the demons he walked by as they scurried out of his way. They all wanted to avoid being his victim today, but for once, these poor damned souls had nothing to fear from the radio demon. No, today Alastor was only planning to have one victim and he couldn’t _wait_ to reach them.

“ _All you loyal listeners should realize what today is._ ” Alastor cooed, his tail quivering in excitement under his jacket as he stepped into the seedy neighborhood. He had no doubt his prey was in a new home, trying, hoping, _praying_ that Alastor would not be able to find him this year. The radio demon chuckled as he thought of this amusing prospect: as if he would ever fail to find _him._ “ _Now, where do you think we’ll find him this year?_ ”

Alastor allowed the jazz to resume as he stabbed his mic into the ground, cracking the sidewalk as his Shadow rose, the other smaller souls rising it with it. Small tongues of Hellfire rose with the darkness and Alastor’s smile grew as he considered the collateral damage.

“ _Looks like this year there will be **a lot** of damage while we search. I hope none of you lovely listeners are nearby._” The prince chuckled as he motioned the creatures forward and the shadows shot out in all directions, searching all the houses and every corner for their prey. Almost instantly, Alastor’s ears were blessed with the sounds of screams and the radio demon laughed along with his laugh track as the flames started to rise, his shadow servants setting everything they touched on fire.

Alastor’s hand quickly shot out, the radio demon catching the demon that ran at him, the creature hoping to harm him with its spear. He lifted the pathetic creature off the ground, crushing its throat in his grip as he shoved his other hand into the creature’s guts, pulling out the delicious organs. He hadn’t planned on feasting today, but if they were going to offer themselves up, it would be a _shame_ to waste such delicious _meat._

“AH! Fuck you Alastor!” The radio demon quickly stood from his meal as he heard the voice he had been searching for and the prince began to walk through the flames, making sure to grab his mic as he passed it. Alastor wiped the still warm blood from his mouth, his other shadows returning to his feet as he advanced closer to his prey. He could always eat later, making sure to drag the rest of his meal into the darkness of his portal.

“ _Ah, it seems we’ve found him._ ” Alastor chuckled, pushing aside a collapsing wall as he saw the demon in his Shadow’s clutches. The bear demon growled up at the prince and struggled to break the hold the Shadow had on him, but the creature only tightened its grip. Alastor hummed as he looked over the pathetic demon, noticing that it was still missing its left leg and arm, and the radio demon couldn’t help his glee. He reached out to touch the half-healed wounds, hovering his hand above them as he stroked the air. “ _He failed to fully heal again this year: a pity. How long has it been since we’ve enjoyed the **pleasure** of destroying his entire body?_”

“ _FUCK YOU ALASTOR, I DON’T EXIST FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT._ ” The demon growled, finally breaking free of the Shadow and lunging at the radio demon but Alastor didn’t flinch. He merely snapped and the bear was stopped inches from the prince’s face by his tentacles. The dark appendages reached into another dark room, recovering the missing leg and arm and dragging them to the room they were in. Alastor calmly reached down, picking up the bear demon’s decimated leg, still bearing the wounds that Alastor had given him the year before. He turned it over in his hand as the bear snapped and growled at Alastor, struggling against the radio’s tentacles.

“ _Neither did I, but it never stopped you from using me._ ” Alastor cooed, setting the limb on fire and delighting in the howl of pain coming from the bear as it struggled harder in the radio demon’s grip. He tossed it back to the floor on top of the arm, enjoying the shriek as the arm also caught fire and Alastor merely smiled as he watched the limbs burn to a crisp, leaving nothing but a foul smelling pile of meat and bone. “ _Whoops, silly me, I got **a bit** carried away. I suppose those won’t be coming back.”_

“FUCK YOU!”

“ _No worry, he can always get a **stub-stitute.**_ ” Alastor cackled at his own joke, twirling as another wall collapsed from the flames, the laugh track echoing in the burning room around them. The bear demon began to breath heavily, the smoke obviously starting to wreak havoc on his body. The radio demon hummed happily, tapping his mic as his laughter began to wind down. “ _I’d say he has a bright future as an **arms dealer.**_ ”

“FUCKING SON OF A WHORE.” Alastor’s humor abruptly ended, the laugh track and the flames dying at the same instant, leaving the pair in silence. The radio demon’s head began to twitch as the static began, but the bear demon didn’t stop, spitting toward Alastor as the radio demon faced away from him. “You come to torture me every year over her death, but that _bitch_ deserved to die for cheating on me, having you with that bastard Lucif-.”

“ ** _Well, we do agree on one thing._** ” The bear began to choke as Alastor’s tentacle slid inside his open mouth, the radio demon turning to face the demon in his grasp. Alastor shoved his mic back into the ground, walking up to the demon that had once been his stepfather, the man responsible for his mother’s death. The prince carefully stroked the bear’s left side, resting his hand on the creature’s shoulder before digging his hand in, and slowly ripping the man’s half-healed side back open. “ _The King is a **bastard,** but then again, so am I._”

But the bear’s scream was muffled by the appendage filling his throat and Alastor could feel himself growing aroused as he watched his stepfather’s body open up as he dragged his hand down his side, as if he were merely unzipping the bear’s skin. Blood poured all over his hand and the organs spilled out over his arm, covering Alastor with their warmth. The radio demon brought his hand to his mouth, licking the blood from his glove before swiftly spitting It to the ground.

“ _Sorry, dear listeners, but it seems the bear’s blood is still tainted._ ” Alastor chucked, reaching into the wound he had opened, grabbing hold on the demon’s spine. His stepfather let out a muffled scream of pain as the radio demon slowly began to flick out each of his vertebrae, loving the crack as the cartilage gave way. Each piece of bone exploded out the bear’s back, and Alastor’s member throbbed with each thud as the bone struck the far wall. “ _It seems another **cleansing** is in order. Perhaps next year he will be free of this taint that plagues his soul._”

Alastor chuckled along with his laugh track as he pulled his hand out of his stepfather, the demon’s body limp and immobile in his grasp. Even though he couldn’t move, even though he couldn’t scream, the bear demon glared at the prince, his yellow eyes still meeting Alastor’s evenly. The radio demon inhaled deeply, releasing a shaky breath as he brought his hand to his lips, loving the defiant look on his stepfather’s face. After all, it was the fact that the man never gave in, never caved or begged, that made this so _fun_ to Alastor. This man was beyond redemption, beyond pity and Alastor would always have a reason to torture him.

“ _Now, sweet listeners, lean close, close your eyes, let go~_ ” Alastor cooed with his sultry voice, slipping into his new demonic form, delighting in the slight fear that filled his stepfather’s eyes before Alastor could no longer see him. No, he would not delight in the sight of torture this year, but the smell, the sounds, the sheer pleasure of torturing the creature who took his mother away from him. Who ended that beautiful life because of jealousy and weakness, a being that deserved to be tortured by Alastor’s hand for all of eternity. “ **And revel in the sounds of his pain.** ”


	3. Accept Me

Alastor sighed heavily as he stepped back into the radio tower, not surprised to find it dark and quiet. After all, he hadn’t _meant_ to take all afternoon torturing his stepfather, but something had driven him to drag out the torture more than usual. The radio demon frowned as he began to remove his bowtie and jacket, summoning the remains of the demon he had been consuming as he set them on the counter. No, Alastor knew why had dragged out the torture, and he scowled as his worries returned to plague his mind.

He didn’t want to live at the palace; bad enough that Lucifer watched him everywhere he went, and he had no desire to be in such close quarters with that creature. But it was the one thing that he hadn’t told Angel yet that was truly bothering Alastor and that was that Mimzy would be _staying_ there as well. Charlie had been the one to offer up that information, considering it her way of paying him back for telling her about the coronation early. Alastor hadn’t reacted when she told him, dismissing it as not an problem, but the truth was it _was_ an problem. A very _big_ problem.

“Al?” Alastor looked up to the stairs as he heard Angel’s half-asleep voice call out to him and the radio demon cast his gaze down to the bleeding corpse on the counter. For a moment, he considered removing it before shrugging, reaching in his cabinets to retrieve a skillet. Alastor kept his back to the spider as he set the pan to heat, reaching into another cabinet to find some spices. He felt Angel’s initial shock and disgust as he finished climbing down the stairs and the radio demon scoffed as Angel spoke. “Hungry?”

“Yes,” Was Alastor’s cool reply, digging in the body as he pulled out the liver, seasoning the meat before tossing it into the pan. He heard his stomach growl at the pleasant aroma, and he hummed, a soft smile coming to his face. Eating the meat raw was always pleasurable, but sometimes he forgot how nice it was to cook. “I didn’t get a chance to eat during today’s show.”

“I heard.” Alastor heard as Angel hummed, and the radio demon was surprised by the tap that came to his shoulder. He looked up to see the spider smiling down at him, despite the disgust he could still feel pouring from their bond. Alastor frowned, shrugging as he focused on cooking his meal, reaching back into the body to grab out some of the torn intestines to add to the pan. He felt those soft arms wrap around his midsection, feeling Angel bury his face against the radio’s neck. “Every year, huh?”

“Well, it’s no fun if I don’t give him time to heal.” Alastor chuckled, adding more spices to the meat in his pan. He heard as Angel sighed and he was surprised to hear a growl from the spider’s stomach as well. “Angel, have _you_ not eaten?”

“Didn’t get a chance. Ya _pleasure_ kept me busy.” Angel admitted and the radio demon felt his embarrassment overpowering his annoyance. He had forgotten about that: despite the fact that distance made it difficult for emotions and thoughts to be shared, pain and pleasure could be passed through the bond regardless of distance. Alastor found it easy to ignore Angel’s pleasure while he was working, as the radio demon had plenty of experience ignoring such urges. But Angel was easily affected by Alastor, and now that their bond was fixed, the spider was once again subjected to Alastor’s intense feelings of arousal.

“I apologize, Anthony. I’ll cook you-”

“Nah, I’ll just try what you’re having.” Alastor froze at the spider’s words, removing the pan from the fire as he finished cooking the organs. He slowly turned in Angel’s arms, looking up to see the look of mirth on Angel’s face. The emotion coming off the spider was no longer simply disgust or mirth, but a myriad of emotions Alastor couldn’t understand. Angel giggled, keeping his eyes locked on Alastor’s. “Heh, ya look like you’ve seen a fucking ghost.”

“What did you just say?” Alastor asked cautiously, and he watched as Angel chuckled again, his smile becoming more strained.

“I said, I’ll try what you’re having.” The spider repeated and this time Alastor was able to comprehend the emotions better. _Teasing,_ Angel was teasing him and Alastor couldn’t help his chuckle as he pulled away from his lover’s arms. He leaned to a drawer to retrieve a knife and fork, cutting into the cooked liver. “Smells delicious from the way you seasoned it.”

“Well then, here.” Alastor turned, offering the bite to the spider as he held the fork in front of Angel’s mouth. The radio demon’s own mouth watered at the scent of the meat, but he swallowed back the saliva as he watched the smile disappear from Angel’s face. The spider seemed to be fighting whether or not he wanted to continue his charade and Alastor’s smile grew. He started to pull his hand away when Angel grabbed his wrist and he received his second surprise of the night as the spider quickly consumed the bite. Alastor merely watched as the spider forced himself to chew and swallow the tiny morsel, feeling Angel’s slight nausea. “Well, Anthony?”

“Mhmmm.” Angel hummed, his face as unreadable as his emotions as Alastor shrugged, turning to plate his meal from the skillet. He had to admit, he never expected Angel to actually _eat_ the liver, given its source, but it was obvious that the spider was still disgusted by the thought. Alastor cut into more of his dinner as he finally took a bite, sighing happily as he began to satisfy his hunger. “I’ll admit, it’s…not terrible.”

“But?”

“I think it’s more than I _know_ what it is than how it tastes.” Angel admitted, sighing as he leaned against the counter, watching as Alastor carefully ate his dinner. He felt the spider’s disgust as Angel looked over to the corpse and Alastor sighed, snapping his fingers to remove the mess from the kitchen. After all, he had no more use for the body: tomorrow he would have _fresh_ meat. “If you cooked that for me without me knowing, I’d eat it happily. It tasted good.”

“Are you not worried that I’ll start feeding you my victims unknowingly?” Alastor chuckled, helping himself to more of the intestines on his plate, loving the gush of liquid as he cut into the organ. He felt Angel’s uncertainty and he glanced up at the spider, and for a moment Alastor started to feel bad for pushing so much on Angel. After all, no one else had ever been able to put up with Alastor’s preferred dining habits, alive or dead.

“How would I know ya haven’t already? You are a sick bastard when ya want to be.” Angel laughed, the sound obviously strained as Alastor shrugged, focusing on finishing his food. He hummed softly as he felt Angel’s discomfort and regret and the radio demon looked back up to watch the spider’ face. Angel had a slight pout on his face as he looked over to where Fat Nuggets slept, although he turned his gaze to Alastor once he felt the prince’s gaze on him. “I don’t really have anything to say to that, Al. I’m still gonna eat whatever you cook for me. I trust you.”

“Hmm.” Alastor accepted, finishing off his food and slipping the skillet and plate into the sink. The radio demon made his way over to the fridge to pull out other ingredients, and he set about the motions of cooking for Angel, preheating the oven. Alastor usually kept the fridge empty but now that Angel was staying at the tower, the radio demon made it a point to keep food in the fridge that Angel would actually eat. “Well, my ability to cook for you in the coming months will be limited, so I wouldn’t worry about it Anthony.”

“I’m not.” Angel affirmed, gently hugging Alastor from behind again as the radio demon began to arrange the ingredients in the pan. The spider was doing his best to keep out of the way and Alastor could feel his annoyance fading as Angel’s happiness began to fill him. “I meant it, I trust you. You’d tell me.”

“Maybe.” Alastor answered, leaning away from Angel’s arms as he slid the dish into the oven, setting the timer on his counter for twenty minutes. Alastor frowned as he felt Angel’s disappointment and the radio demon closed his eyes, dusting off his hands as he stood. He turned to face Angel, doing his best to smile up at his lover. “You did well.”

“Did well?”

“This was you trying to accept my eating habits, no?” Alastor asked and he watched as Angel slowly nodded. The radio demon nodded, doing his best to try and hide his happiness as he continued speaking. “While this was pretty tame for me, you still did well. Mimzy and not even Husk have been able to watch me eat without throwing up.”

“Like I said, it _was_ good, plus I’ve seen worse in the Studios. Been around some kinky fuckers, pun intended.” Angel shrugged, glancing to the timer. “So, whatcha wanna do while we wait?”

“You sound as if you have an idea.” Alastor chuckled and his smile grew wider as Angel wrapped his arms around the radio demon again. Alastor leaned up as the spider tilted his chin, dragging a passionate kiss from the prince’s lips. There was no way he would ever admit it to Angel, but Alastor was relieved that the spider _still_ desired him after watching him cook and eat from the corpse of a demon. That was something no else had ever wanted or been able to do, and it made the radio demon happier than he wanted to admit. He hummed as Angel’s passion washed over him and the spider chucked down at his lover.

“I’ve gotta few.”


	4. Old Savior

Angel knew something was up as soon as he walked into the Studios, as Val wasn’t waiting for him as he stepped inside. Instead, Velvet was leaning against the desk, and from what Angel could tell, it looked like she had a jaw breaker in her mouth. The doll demon seemed bored, as if she’s rather be anywhere instead of waiting for Angel and since he couldn’t see Vox, the TV demon must have been on set.

“Hey Vel, where’s Val?” Angel asked, looking around to try and see if the moth was sitting at the desk. Velvet sighed, turning a lazy expression to Angel as she continued moving her candy around in her mouth. Angel chuckled nervously, adjusting his jacket on his shoulders as the Overlord sucked on her candy loudly.

“Third floor conference room with a client. You need to head up there.” Was all Velvet would offer and Angel nodded, giving Velvet a confused look as he pushed himself into the hallway that would take him to the elevator. Alastor was moving into the palace today, and while Angel had wanted to go with him, the radio demon had insisted that Angel remain behind and go to work. It seemed that Alastor was really worried about Lucifer doing something, but Angel didn’t see the need for the intense fear. After all, Lucifer seemed more amused by Alastor’s attachment to Angel than anything else, and not malicious like it seemed Alastor feared.

“Angel.” The spider looked up sharply, surprised to see Val standing on the elevator as the doors opened, and the moth stepped aside to let Angel in. He stepped inside slowly, moving to the other side of the small box. “Good, I was coming to get you.”

“Um, what’s up, Val?” Angel couldn’t help his trepidation as the doors closed on him and Valentino. Even though the moth had been better to him and no longer touched or forced himself on the spider, decades of abuse don’t suddenly disappear overnight and Angel couldn’t let go of his fear of the Overlord. Val sucked on his teeth as he watched the numbers, sighing heavily as the elevator began to slow down.

“Ya have someone requesting to do shoots with you.” Val finally answered, waiting for Angel to step off before leading the spider down the hall. “Given your boyfriend’s…attitude, you two will need to talk it over before I can consent.”

“Huh? Why would I need to talk to Al about work?” Angel queried, looking up to the moth’s back as he watched Val pause in front of one of the conference rooms. The moth paused with his hand on the door, frowning before he pushed the door open to let Angel in.

Sitting on the couch, twirling a champagne glass in his hand was Seviathan Von Eldritch, and Angel instantly understood Valentino’s hesitation. The Von Eldritch family was another powerful family of Overlords like the Magne family, so Valentino probably didn’t _want_ to tell Seviathan no. But Seviathan was also an old customer of Angel’s and was known for abusing the spider worse than Valentino, something Alastor would not be happy about if he found out Valentino allowed him near Angel.

“Hello, Angel Dust.” Seviathan smiled his charming grin, motioning the spider in. Angel shook his head, turning as Valentino brushed past him and the moth took his former place in one of the chairs. Seviathan’s grin twitched, but he merely took a sip of his drink, pretending it didn’t bother him. “I’m sure you remember me.”

“Yeah, I remember you.” Angel struggled to remain polite, closing the door behind him as he leaned against it. He didn’t want to move into the room any more than he had to, and he wanted to be able to leave if Seviathan moved toward him. “What do you want, Sev?”

“I just want to do some shoots with you, my sweet Angel. All privately of course.” The Overlord took a moment to smooth his slick back green hair, still beaming a bright grin at the spider. Angel felt his heart pound at that expression, but not entirely from anger and fear. At one point, Angel thought Seviathan would be the one to free him from Valentino’s control, but that was back when Angel had still been naïve and stupid. When Angel still believed that an Overlord could love him. “It would be three different scenes, all filmed when you aren’t busy.”

“Why?” Angel demanded, feeling his anger and nervousness growing as he did his best to meet Seviathan’s eyes evenly. The demon chuckled, taking another sip of his alcohol as Angel shook against the door. “You haven’t even requested me in decades, why the sudden interest?”

“I find myself missing you as of late, my dear Angel.” Seviathan cooed, giving Angel a soft look that made the spider’s heart skip a beat. Angel did his best to ignore this feeling, trying to hold on to his anger and annoyance. _Fuck,_ he did _not_ care about Seviathan anymore. “When I found out you were still working at the Studios, I knew I should try to get my memories of you immortalized before it’s too late.”

“Too late?”

“It may not be officially announced yet Angel, but most of us know you’re dating Alastor.” Valentino nonchalantly explained and the spider turned to look at his boss. The moth was merely smoking his pipe, doing his best to seem uninterested in the proceedings. “It’s smart for us Overlords to keep tabs on each other, especially when one starts dating a lesser demon.”

“Right.” Angel hummed, remembering how Vox and Velvet had known that Cherri and Rosie were a thing, despite the two having never been seen on a date before the casino. Now, Rosie openly flaunted Cherri and especially in front of other Overlords, something the cyclops loved. Cherri loved being able to say whatever she wanted to whomever she wanted, and they all knew better than to mess with her because Rosie was her girlfriend. Rosie also loved Cherri’s wanton lust for destruction, and many of their dates were ended with their chosen location destroyed.

“Alastor may be willing to let you continue working for now, but we all know he’s not a man to share his…prey.” Seviathan cooed, returning Angel’s attention to him as he continued speaking. The Overlord was grinning smugly as he swirled his drink, lazily drifting his eyes back to Angel. “Better to get what I want now before he traps you in that Radio Tower of his.”

“I’m not Alastor’s prey _or_ pet.” Angel spat, annoyed by the Overlord’s words. Both Seviathan and Valentino raised their eyebrows at this, but neither tried to argue with the spider. Angel took a deep breath, maintaining his glare on Seviathan. “Although, I would need to ask him before I agree to doing a shoot with _you,_ since you are another Overlord. Rather not have anyone _else_ try to come between us.”

Angel shot a glare over to Valentino, but the moth merely shrugged at his words. Valentino had made no effort to excuse his actions, nor did he try to make up for it: the moth was truly only concerned about making money off Angel and as long as he was allowed to do that, he didn’t seem to care about much else. Although Angel was surprised that Valentino was giving him the choice to do this shoot, as the spider could imagine that Seviathan was offering a lot of money for him.

“Fair enough, Angel, but I would like my answer soon.” Seviathan set down his glass, walking over to Angel where he leaned against the door. Angel moved to let the Overlord pass, but Seviathan reached down to grab Angel’s face, stealing a kiss before the spider could react. Angel felt as the dark green Overlord was pulled off him and Valentino stood, placing himself in front on the spider.

“You don’t touch Angel unless you’re in front of a camera, Seviathan.” Valentino growled, and Angel was surprised by the anger in the Moth’s voice. Val had never jumped to his defense before, even if he was watching the spider be assaulted on the streets. Seviathan looked up the moth, his pleased smile still on his face. “I don’t need Al burning anymore of my businesses to the ground.”

“Sorry, Val, it was just too tempting to sneak a taste. Just as sweet as I remember.” Seviathan chuckled, turning that piecing gaze and charming smile back to Angel. A dark look flashed across the Overlord’s expression and Angel couldn’t help as his heart leapt into his throat. “I look forward to hearing back from you, Val, Angel.”

With that Seviathan walked out and Valentino waited until the door had closed behind him to walk back to his seat. Angel watched as Val took another drag off his pipe, scowling once he noticed the spider staring at him.

“ _What?”_

“Thanks, for giving me a chance to say no.” Val growled as Angel’s words, turning away from the spider.

“ _You’re not welcome._ ” Valentino spat, keeping his gaze on the wall. “The only reason you’re getting a choice is because _Alastor_ needs the choice. I can’t afford to keep pissing off the prince, otherwise your ass would be down in the studio getting plowed by that prick.”

Angel winced at Valentino’s harsh words, and he nodded, swallowing hard. Right, Valentino was never going to see him as anything more than his little money maker and any offer of kindness was just the moth trying to stay on a neutral standing with Alastor. Angel was still just a tool to Valentino, and that’s all he was ever going to be.

“I’ll try to ask him tonight, he’s supposed to come visit me.” Angel sighed, frowning as he looked away. Alastor was only supposed to be visiting for a few hours and this was not how he wanted to spend his last night with the radio demon. Given both Seviathan’s and Valentino’s attitude, however, the longer he waited to give an answer, the more likely it was that the Eldritch would try something on his own.

“Good, the sooner I can give Sev an answer the better.” Valentino waved the spider away, keeping his eyes on the wall as he scowled. “Now leave, you have three shoots to do this afternoon.”

“Yes Valentino.” Angel quietly left the conference room, sighing heavily. He was not looking forward to this conversation with Alastor.


	5. Last Night

Alastor sighed as he waited for Angel to come back, Fat Nuggets nuzzled on the couch next to the radio demon as he sipped on his warm tea. The last cup he was to have for a while in the comfort of his own tower and the prince frowned, swirling the beverage in his cup. Lucifer wasn’t very happy about Alastor requesting to spend the night in his Tower, but the Kings couldn’t say no, considering he had no plans for the prince until the next morning. All Alastor had truly done at the Palace today was learn where he was going to be staying, the schedule Lucifer expected him to keep and discovering that he would be spending a fair amount of time with Lilith. Apparently, Lucifer considered it important for Alastor to understand what Lilith did as well as what he did, so that Alastor would know what he needed of his ‘partner.’

“Tch.” Alastor scoffed, sipping off more of his drink. The way Lucifer had said “partner” instead of “Angel” spoke volumes for what the King thought of the spider and was why Alastor was determined to keep Angel away. Per the terms of their deal, Lucifer was the only demon who could still hurt Angel and Alastor had no intention of giving him the chance. Alastor was also careful to adjust his clothing, making sure his face was the only part of his skin accessible to Lucifer’s damned touch. He would _not_ risk Lucifer breaking the bond without him knowing.

“Hey, Al, sorry. Got a late start.” Alastor took a deep breath as he turned to look at the spider as Angel walked in the door. The spider was smiling, but Alastor frowned as Angel’s uncertainty hit him and he quickly placed his mug down, standing from the couch. Fat nuggets leapt off from the disturbance, padding over to his bed to resume his sleep.

“And why, pray tell, did you start late?” Alastor asked cautiously, leaning against the back of the couch as Angel removed his coat. The radio demon frowned as he saw the marks in Angel’s fur: he hadn’t felt any pain, which meant… “You _know_ I don’t like BDSM shoots, Angel.”

“I know, but I couldn’t say no today.” Angel looked away from Alastor’s gaze, and Alastor became more suspicious as Angel’s hesitation grew.

“ _And why not?_ ”

“That’s…what we need to talk about.” Angel sighed, motioning toward the couch as he approached the radio demon. Alastor refused to move, waiting until Angel was right in front of him as he merely looked up to the spider. Angel was tired, exhausted, scared and…once again, Alastor was getting confused by the emotion plaguing the spider. “Please Al, I need to sit down.”

“What happened?” Alastor nodded his head toward the couch and Angel sighed, signaling his defeat as he sat down. Alastor felt a familiar tap as Angel threw one of his arms over the back of the couch but for once Alastor refused, looking down to look at the tired spider. “Not until you tell me what happened.”

“I…got a request to do a shoot.” _Heartache._ Alastor felt his anger flare at feeling that emotion from Angel and he did his best to try and swallow it as Angel continued. “If we say no, it’ll cost Valentino a lot of money, so I couldn’t back out of a light BDSM to make up for it.”

“ _If_ we say no?” Alastor repeated, and Angel nodded, closing his eyes as he drew his arm back over the couch. Alastor felt a twinge of regret for his interrogation, since Angel was clearly exhausted, but the radio demon couldn’t help his suspicion and annoyance. “He made you do a shoot based on an _if?_ ”

“I’m pretty sure ya going to say no once you hear who it’s from, so I decided to do the shoot to go ahead and get it over with.” Angel sighed and Alastor finally turned around, leaning across the couch as he felt Angel’s heartache and pain increase. The radio demon’s fingers dug into the furniture, Alastor struggling to control his increasing anger and frustration at Angel’s emotions.

“And _who_ , pray tell, is this request from that your heart aches so much?” Alastor hissed and when Angel turned to look at him, he was surprised to see that the spider was crying.

“Seviathan Von Eldritch.” Alastor couldn’t help the small flame that erupted from his hands as he heard the name and the radio demon quickly extinguished the fire as Angel jumped from the couch. Alastor took a deep breath, motioning for the spider to sit back down and Angel obeyed hesitantly, taking his former place. The spider waited as Alastor wrestled with his emotions, only continuing once Alastor nodded. “I’m going to take it you know him.”

“I’ve had…disagreements with Mr. Von Eldritch and his sister in the past, due to me being Lucifer’s bastard son.” Alastor admitted through gritted teeth, trying to swallow his anger. Along with Vox, Seviathan and Helsa were among the few Overlords that Alastor could say he truly _hated_ and it made his blood boil to think that the damn fish had _ever_ touched his Angel. “ _So why does thinking of him make your heart ache?_ ”

“He’s…an old customer. When I was still young and stupid, I thought…” Angel brought his knees to his chest and Alastor felt his anger fade as he felt Angel’s rise. The radio demon looked back to see Angel had looked away from him, but he could hear the tiny hiccups as Angel cried. “I thought _he_ would be the one to save me. Instead, he-”

“Angel,” Alastor finally walked back around the couch, sitting gently beside the spider. The radio demon wasn’t sure what to say, especially given how he still felt about Mimzy, but he hated to see Angel like this. Alastor gently reached out to touch the spider’s back and he hated the way Angel flinched under his touch. “You could have said no without talking to me.”

“No, ya have to be the one to say no.” Angel sighed. “Val’s only giving the option because he doesn’t want to piss you off anymore. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been a choice.”

“Well, then-”

“Besides, I would have said yes.” Alastor felt his anger return as Angel interrupted him and he couldn’t help himself as he grabbed the spider’s shoulders roughly. He spun Angel on the couch, forcing the spider to look up at him. Fear, anger, disgust…it was clear Angel hated the idea, but Alastor could also tell he was _telling the truth._

“ _Why?_ ”

“Because if I don’t do this shoot with him, it’s more likely he’ll try something later. I know Sev as well if not better than you.” Angel breathed, meeting Alastor’s gaze as evenly as he could while he tried to blink away his tears. The radio demon fought to keep from digging his fingers into Angel’s shoulders, but he also couldn’t convince himself to release the spider. “Seviathan means it when he says he wants me, just never the way I wanted him. I’d rather give him this, where I know Val is watching, than have him try something on his own.”

“So you trust Valentino now?”

“I know Valentino will protect me.” Angel affirmed, and Alastor couldn’t help his slight pride at Angel’s determination. “He’s not willing to lose me as his best star and he won’t let Sev piss you off.

“I’m also pretty sure Sev knows you’re not going to be around and that’s why he’s requesting the shoot now.” Angel continued and Alastor finally sighed, releasing the spider as he sat back on the couch. He felt the familiar tap and this time he conceded, allowing Angel to grab his hand. Alastor sighed as Angel’s relief filled him and he looked back up to see Angel’s determination. “You know that I hate the idea and I want to say no, but it’s better than him trying to kidnap me off the street to get what he wants.”

“So you want me to consent to that filthy fish touching you? _Tasting what belongs to me?_ ” Alastor couldn’t help the venom in his voice and he felt as Angel squeezed his hand. Alastor sighed, refusing to meet the spider’s eyes.

‘ _We don’t have to like it, Al, just like how we don’t like you going to stay with Lucifer._ ’ Alastor closed his eyes as he felt Angel’s hand against his face, unable to help leaning into that gentle touch. He allowed Angel to lift his head, his tail thumping as the spider pressed a soft kiss against his forehead. “We just have to get through it. Plus if we do, Val owes me an extra day off from doing the BDSM shoot today and I can spend it with you.”

“How many shoots?”

“Three.”

“Private or public?”

“Private, they’re for his personal collection.” Alastor hummed as he considered Angel’s argument. He hated to admit that the spider had a point: Valentino wouldn’t risk pissing off Alastor anymore than he already had and would protect Angel if Seviathan tried anything at the Studios. While the King would protect him from physical abuse, Lucifer had already proven that any other form of abuse was fair game, and Alastor would have limited ability to protect Angel if Seviathan tried something in his absence.

“ ** _Fine.”_** Alastor finally breathed, wrapping his arms around Angel. “Seviathan can have his shoots, but **_never again._** ”

“We agree on that.” Angel chuckled, pulling the radio demon into his lap as Alastor buried his face into Angel’s chest. Alastor pulled the shirt down further, fully immersing himself in the spider’s soft fur. “Besides, it’s not like Sev can do whatever he wants anymore. He still has to obey the same rules as everyone else, don’t give shit that he’s an Overlord.”

“I don’t want him to touch you _anywhere._ ” Alastor spat into the spider’s chest and he was surprised as he felt and smelled Angel’s arousal. He looked up to give Angel a questioning look and was surprised to see the spider avoiding his eyes, a bright blush on his fur.

“Well, you could always _cleanse me_ afterwards.” Alastor chuckled as he understood the spider’s thoughts. Alastor had been playing around with his fire in the bedroom when Angel surprised him, and he accidently burned the spider. Much to his surprise, Angel _enjoyed_ the flames licking his body: Alastor never expected Angel to be so masochistic, especially since he was a helpless romantic. None of the burns were severe, however, and the radio demon immediately healed any wounds he had given the spider, but he couldn’t help his own arousal at the thought of doing it on purpose. “Besides, burning away his touch would be a double blessing.”

“ _We’ll see, mon ange._ ” Alastor chuckled, pressing his face back into his spider. “This is my last night, let me simply enjoy your presence.”

“Tea and books?” Angel offered and the radio demon sighed happily, his tail starting to wag with his excitement. He loved the laugh that came from the spider in his arms and Alastor felt calm as Angel’s heartache and anger finally completely faded away. Alastor released Angel as the spider stood, moving to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea and the radio demon motioned for a book from his shelf.

As the Shadow retrieved his chosen selection and Angel settled back beside him, Alastor decided to push away his concerns and anger and simply enjoy being with his Angel.


	6. Our New Dance

Alastor sighed heavily as he walked back into the palace, his anxiety giving the radio demon a headache as he walked down the long hallway. He resisted the urge to grab his head however, not wanting to give the prying eyes anything to report to his father. The radio demon took a deep breath, doing his best to focus on the positive night he had spent with Angel. He had spent a lovely evening with his spider, almost forgetting about his annoyance and anger with Seviathan. But now, as he was walking into his own prison with a past lover, his anger returned and the radio demon couldn’t help his scowl.

It wasn’t that he was worried that Angel would want Seviathan anymore: no, from the spider’s own emotions Alastor knew how much Angel would rather never see the Eldritch again. What ate away at Alastor, what made him walk quickly down the halls of the palace was that Angel had to endure that pain alone, to face a demon who had used and hurt him. It also didn’t help that every time Angel brought up another Overlord, Alastor was reminded of how he had treated Mimzy, how horrible he had been to her. Alastor had no excuse for his actions and he never tried to offer one, but he wanted to believe he was _different_ now. Perhaps not better, but at the very least, _different._

“Alastor, your anger is palpable even from here.” The radio demon paused as he heard the smooth voice behind him and he closed his eyes, not wanting to turn around. _Speak of the demoness and she shall appear._ Mimzy giggled behind him, pushing herself off the wall, Alastor’s heart raced as he heard her walking up to him. “Sad how I can still tell, even after all this time apart.”

“I believe it would be sadder if you couldn’t.” Alastor retorted, continuing done the hallways as Mimzy followed him. He did his best to control his wildly beating heart, and to swallow his desire to look at her. She didn’t look the same any more than he did, but she _was_ the same. The same woman he had loved, the one who never loved him back and who now delighted in reminding him of their failed marriage. “Shouldn’t you be practicing with Lilith instead of following me?”

“I’m on my way there now.” The radio demon could hear the nonchalant tone in her voice, and he grunted, trying to remind himself to relax his shoulders. _Relax, all he had to do was relax_ and treat her like anyone else. Another poor damned soul that meant nothing to him, another meal waiting to be devoured. Alastor slowed his stride, taking a deep breath as he allowed his signature smile to spread across his face. “Not everything is about _you,_ Alastor.”

“Perhaps not, but isn’t it interesting how both the King and Queen managed to take a liking to the two of us, out of every other poor soul on this layer of Hell?” Alastor beamed, glancing over his shoulder to look at his ex-wife. Mimzy was frowning slightly and the radio demon couldn’t help as his grin grew. She seemed disappointed by his change in demeanor and Alastor made no effort to hide his glee at her expression. “Seems like fate can’t help but push us together.”

“I doubt _fate_ has much to do with it Alastor.”

“Oh, but I believe fate has _everything_ to do with it.” The radio demon beamed, loving the annoyed hum that came from the demoness behind him. He turned another corner as he walked toward the throne room, surprised to hear that Mimzy was still following him. “What else would you call it? Destiny? Providence? The will of God?”

“More like the will of Lucifer.” Mimzy muttered, jumping slightly as Alastor played his laugh track, the sound echoing down the hall. Other demons in the hall cast quick glances to the pair, but Alastor ignored them.

“Speaking of Him, did you ever learn what the King’s least favorite chord was?” Alastor chuckled to himself as he leaned his mic back into Mimzy’s face. She looked down at it for a moment before giving the radio demon an annoyed look.

“I don’t ca-”

“ _Gsus_!” The radio demon laughed, Mimzy’s annoyance only serving to fuel his mirth. He pushed open the next set of doors leading to his destination, holding it open for the demoness. She looked at him warily but Alastor merely maintained his smile, watching as Mimzy waked through, now following behind her. He tapped her head lightly with his microphone, earning himself a scowl as she glared back at him. “Come now Mimzy, where’s that smile we all love? The laugh that can melt hearts?”

“It left when you took the stage.” The demoness scowled and Alastor felt his eyebrow twitch as her answer. There it was: the smart retort, the sarcasm he couldn’t stand. He had no doubt Mimzy had always been like this, but she had never shown it when they were alive, which Alastor considered smart in retrospect. Now, however, she made no effort to hide her true self and the demoness’ smile returned as she noticed his annoyance. Such was the game they now played, the new music they waltzed to. “Oh, nothing to say Alastor? I always did like you more when you were a shy boy who didn’t know how to talk to a girl.”

“Ah, but those days are long gone, my dear!” Alastor beamed, sighing as he continued twirling his microphone. Ah, those sweet days of innocence that would never return, and the radio demon had no regrets about who he had become. “As are the days of you being a sweet southern belle. Oh, I wonder what happened to her, that charming little lady?”

“You should know Alastor. You killed her.” Mimzy let out a loud laugh as Alastor stopped walking, hating the heartache and anger in his chest. The songstress turned around, shaping her fingers into a gun as she raised her hand high above her head. She slowly brought her arm down, pointing her hand to Alastor’s forehead, right where his ‘x’ should be. It was just her hand: it should not have scared him, and yet Alastor couldn’t help the fear that started to grip his chest, his tail quivering as he remembered the gun. Mimzy’s grin was broad, and she met his gaze evenly as she continued, her tone malicious as Alastor forced himself to glare. “Just like you’re going to do to your precious Angel.”

“You-”

“Ah, Mimzy there you are.” The couple was interrupted as Lilith approached them, and Mimzy beamed a bright smile at Alastor before turning to face the queen. The prince struggled to bite his tongue, forcing himself to smile at his stepmother. Lilith nodded politely before returning her attention to the songstress. “Good thing I found you, we’ll actually be practicing outside today.”

“A wonderful idea, as it is still so lovely out.” The demoness beamed, giggling softly as she began to follow behind the queen. Alastor was left frozen, unable to move as he stared at Mimzy’s back, her words wounding his more than he wanted to admit. Angel…he…

“No.” Alastor murmured, shaking his head as he turned down another corridor, heading for the large golden doors. He was _not_ the same, not matter how much she refused to accept that; he and Angel did not have the same relationship as he had with Mimzy. They were Soulbound, Alastor was forced to confront when things weren’t okay, and he _knew_ Angel loved him. He had felt it, multiple times, so there was no way Angel was lying about his feelings. Sure, Angel was still scared of him at times, and Alastor had strict rules for the spider to follow, but Angel had more freedom than Alastor had ever given to Mimzy. Angel had no reason to _want_ to leave, no reason to lie…

“ _Finally_ , Alastor.” The radio demon was dragged from his thoughts as Lucifer addressed him, and Alastor looked up to see Lucifer standing in the middle of the floor. The King was wearing his signature smile, letting out an exasperated sigh as Alastor approached him. “Arriving on time is _late_ , you know.”

“Sorry _Father,_ but that other distraction you invited to stay here held me up.” Alastor spat, meeting Lucifer’s gaze evenly. Rather than anger, Lucifer laughed, turning away from Alastor as he opened a large portal on the stairs leading to the throne. The king merely held his hand out to the radio demon as Alastor reached him, a gesture that the radio demon refused.

“I would take it, Alastor, regardless of how you feel about touching me.” The king grinned, slitting his eyes at his son. Alastor felt his heart pound at the expression, and he attempted to maintain his resolve. “We’ll be visiting the other four layers of Hell and since _you_ are not pure Hell spawn, your poor soul may become trapped as we go lower.”

“Oh, and how will I do my duties if I can’t go lower than the Pit?” Alastor growled, taking the hand reluctantly. Lucifer immediately pulled Alastor close to his side, chuckling as he planted a kiss into the radio demon’s hair. The King chucked at the slight flame that rose from the radio demon as Alastor struggled to control his anger and desire to pull away.

“There are ways, sweet prince, ways we will explore later.” The king began to guide them to the portal and Alastor did his best to swallow his disgust as he was pulled along. “But today, a tour! A prince should know his kingdom thoroughly, inside and out!”

Alastor sighed heavily as he walked beside his father, descending into the deeper levels of Hell. All he had to do was suffer this for four months, learn everything he need to, and he would be back in Angel’s arms before he knew it.


	7. My Torment

Angel did his best to calm himself down as he prepped in his room. Seviathan had provided the outfit for the shoot, and while Angel had to admit that the fish still had good taste, knowing it was from the Eldritch made him feel dirty. The green leotard sparkled as he leaned forward, sighing heavily as he attempted to fix his makeup before glancing up at the time. At this rate, he would be late to the shoot, but honestly, Angel didn’t consider that a bad thing.

“Ya got this, Angel babe.” The spider cooed, doing his best to smile seductively into the mirror, turning his face to make sure he looked perfect. The leotard was a bit tight and Angel loosened the corset tie a little more. Seviathan seemed slightly disappointed that Angel had started to put on weight, and wanted him to be thinner for filming, but Valentino shot this down. The moth pointed out that if Alastor liked Angel the way he was, then Sev had to either accept how the spider looked now or forgo his shoots.

Angel frowned as his thoughts turned to the prince and he once again began to slouch in his seat. Despite saying he would make time for the spider, Alastor had only been home once in the past month, and the time had been far too brief for Angel. He knew it was unreasonable to expect more of the radio demon’s time, all things considered, but he couldn’t help his disappointment. Being so far away from each other didn’t allow them to share thoughts or emotions, and Angel couldn’t help but feel the same as he had when the bond had been damaged.

Alastor had also seemed more distant during his visit and Angel frowned as he remembered. Mimzy was staying at the palace with Alastor, and while he said their rooms were on opposite sides, the songstress always seemed to find the prince when he was wandering the halls. Angel had no doubt that it was on purpose, to which Alastor agreed and the spider could tell that it was starting to weigh on the radio demon. Alastor wouldn’t elaborate on what _exactly_ she was doing, but Angel could guess that it was to make the radio demon feel insecure with him. Just as Husk wanted to see Alastor alone, it was obvious to Angel that Mimzy wanted the same thing, although her motivation didn’t seem to be jealousy.

“Hey, you done yet, Angel? Val’s done waiting!” Angel groaned as he heard the voice of one of the other actors and the spider struggled to push aside his own emotions. He lifted his mascara, giving another pass over his eyelashes as he pouted his lips.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be down in a sec!” Angel shouted back, forcing himself up from the vanity as he checked over his outfit one last time. The spider wearily pushed himself out into the hall, surprised to that the actor was still waiting for him. “What? I need a fuckin’ escort now?”

“No, just-” The demon shrugged his shoulders, walking away before continuing his thought. Angel watched after him suspiciously before shrugging himself, walking down the Hallway toward the elevator. Once inside, the spider closed his eyes, not wanting to watch the numbers tick down as the box brought his closer to Seviathan. To another heartache he didn’t want to deal with.

“Just three shoots. Just three.” Angel murmured to himself, gripping his body tightly as the elevator descended. To say he didn’t want Seviathan to touch him understated how much he _hated_ the thought, but he had to do this. For himself and Alastor. “Then never again.”

Angel stepped off as the elevator doors opened, keeping his head down as he headed for the set. No doubt that Val would be upset with how long he took, but at least Angel knew the moth wouldn’t do anything. Angel hated to think how much the other actors were suffering due to Valentino no longer being able to abuse him, but he brushed it off. None of them had ever tried to help _him_ when he was the victim, why should he care in Valentino’s attention had turned elsewhere.

“You will stick to the rules, Sev, or it’s done.” Angel was surprised to hear the angry tone in Val’s voice as he quietly opened the main door to the floor. The Overlords were standing on the set Seviathan had demanded, built to look like a Hollywood high rise from Earth. The Eldritch was shirtless, wearing sparkling green pants similar to Angel’s leotard as he smiled up at the moth, Valentino scowling as he leaned over him. “Angel’s contract clearly states what is and isn’t allowed, and _you_ will follow it.”

“Oh, Val, since when have you _ever_ cared about another Overlord demanded of you?” Seviathan cooed, and Angel felt his heart pound. The pair hadn’t noticed him yet, so he hid behind one of the props, his fear palpable as he listened to the Overlord laugh. “I don’t remember you ever caring this much about _my_ demands.”

“ _You_ aren’t royalty, as much as you would like to be.” Valentino snorted, leaning away from the shorter Overlord. Valentino took another deep drag off his pipe and from Seviathan’s cough, Angel knew the moth had blown the smoke into the Eldritch’s face. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten how much you requested my whores after that bitch dumped you. Chasing after the Magnes is a bad look on you Sev.”

‘ _Chasing after the Magnes?_ ’ Angel felt his heart pound louder as he listened to Seviathan laugh. Angel had never known that Seviathan dated Charlie: as far as he knew, Seviathan had always been single. Was Seviathan only messing around with him because Angel was dating Alastor, who was technically a Magne? Angel flinched as he heard Seviathan scoff and he grabbed his chest tightly.

“Hmhm, no, I suppose it isn’t Valentino, but I could say the same from the way you clutch at that spider.” Seviathan shot back, dropping his smooth voice and polite tone for pure malice. Angel groaned softly as he heard the change: this, _this_ is who Seviathan truly was. A cold, unfeeling ancient horror, worse than Alastor and Valentino combined. “ _Bowing down and licking that Magne bastard’s boot heel, just to keep your payday._ ”

“I’d stop there, _Seviathan_.” Valentino growled, and Angel glanced out of his hiding stop to see the Overlords slipping into their demonic forms as they glared at one another. “ _Or you won’t ever **touch** Angel Dust again._”

“You wouldn’t dare-”

“ _Oh, but I would, and I don’t need to wait for Alastor’s permission._ ” Valentino spat, grabbing Seviathan’s face as he blew more smoke into the fish’s eyes. Angel’s eyes widened as Seviathan wrapped his dark green tentacles around the moth, starting to constrict him in his grasp. Valentino seemed unaffected, releasing a moan into his fellow Overlord’s face. “ _Promises, Promises, Sev._ Save that energy for the shoot.”

“Speaking of which, where is my precious Angel?” Seviathan reverted, switching back to his normal form and the spider jumped, forcing himself to walk over to the side door. Valentino wouldn’t be suspicious if he walked from the side door rather than the main door, as the side door was meant to be walked through without making noise. “I believe his tardiness is cutting into my time.”

“Well, ya can’t rush perfection, Sev.” Angel cooed as he walked around the corner, presenting himself in front of the Overlords. Seviathan was already wearing his signature smile and Val scowled, narrowing his eyes at the spider. Angel did his best to swallow the last of his trepidations, sashaying his way to the pair. “You did say you wanted it to be _perfect._ ”

“And I must say, my lovely Angel, you have once again succeeded.” Seviathan cooed, gently taking one of Angel’s hands and laying a kiss on it. The spider hated the way his heart jumped as Seviathan turned soft eyes up to him and Angel turned away, not wanting to meet that gaze. “Such a shame to lose you to Alastor.”

“Just get ready, Sev. We don’t have all day.” Val growled, moving back as Seviathan handed Angel the blindfold. The spider took a deep breath, tying the cloth across his face as he heard Valentino step off the set, and the moth huffed, clearly still upset. He felt as Seviathan grabbed one of his hands, leading Angel over to the bed and tying the spider’s hands to the headboard. Angel did his best not to flinch as he felt Seviathan’s hand stroke his side and he closed his eyes behind the blindfold.

“ _Relax,_ Angel, it’ll be just like old times~” Seviathan cooed, climbing on top of the spider as he whispered in Angel’s ear. Angel fought to swallow his disgust as the Overlord dragged his cold, wet tongue down his neck. “Sweet and full of love, just how you like it.”

“Just take what ya want and get this over with, Sev.” Angel growled, waiting for Val to call that they were filming. In front of the camera, Angel would play his part, but there was no way he was going to entertain Seviathan off film. “ _That’s all old times were._ ”

“Ooooo, so harsh.” Seviathan chuckled, stroking his hand across Angel’s face and the spider was glad he couldn’t see the Overlord’s face. “Alastor really is a bad influence on you.”

“Alastor’s not the one who sent me home barely alive with most of my limbs missing. That was _you._ ” Angel hissed, and the spider started to regret agreeing to the set. He heard as Seviathan laughed above him before leaning back down, his tone no longer sweet but sinister.

“ _And if not for Lucifer, I would gladly do it again._ ”

“Ready?” Angel took a deep breath, turning his face away from Seviathan’s sinister laughter as Val’s voice rang out behind them. He felt as Seviathan adjusted himself on the bed, sitting so that he was leaning against the headboard beside Angel. Close his eyes tight and pretend it wasn’t happening: that’s all Angel had to do. All he had…

“ _Action._ ”


	8. My Trauma

Angel slammed open the door to the radio tower as he arrived home, scaring Fat Nuggets who had been asleep on the couch. The spider slammed the door closed, pounding his fists into the door as he banged his head against it.

“FUCK!” Angel screamed, pushing himself off the door, scrambling out of his clothes and throwing off the green leotard and gloves as if they were on fire. The spider glared at the clothing, for a moment wishing he had Hellfire like Alastor so he could burn the tainted cloth and never have to look at them again. He stomped his way to the bathroom, slamming that door as well as he stepped into the pristine space. Angel marched his way over to the bath, angrily turning on the water. “ _FUCK, FUCK FUCK FUCK!_ ”

‘ _Anthony?_ ’ Angel paused as he heard Alastor’s voice pass through his mind and he quickly looked up, almost expecting to hear the radio demon outside the bathroom door. The Tower remained silent and Angel began to frown as he felt Alastor’s regret fill him. ‘ _I’m not home, just nearby with Lilith._ ’

‘ _Oh._ ’ Angel answered, unable to help his disappointment as he stopped the running bath water, glaring at the clear, clean water. _Clean,_ unlike him. He quickly stepped into the bath and sat down, reaching for the sponge as he began scrubbing furiously at his fur. ‘ _Too Bad._ ’

‘ _What happened? You’re seething._ ’

‘ _Fucking Von Eldritch Motherfucker._ ’ Angel cursed, scrubbing harder at his chest fur, not noticing that he was starting to bleed. _Where else had that fucker touched him? His neck, his thighs…clean,_ he need to scrub away every disgusting part of himself that Seviathan had violated. Angel paused as he felt Alastor’s anger join his, finally noticing the red that mixed with his clean bath water.

‘ ** _And what did he do, Mon ange? Where did he hurt you?_** ’ Angel sighed, doing his best to keep from thinking about what had happened, clutching his bleeding chest. He couldn’t let Alastor find out, lest things go from bad to worse. The radio demon must have felt the spider’s hesitation, as Angel flinched as Alastor’s anger hit him more. ‘ ** _Angel, what happened?_** ’

‘ _He touched me._ ’ Angel seethed, grinding his teeth in the empty tower as he pressed his hand to his raw chest. Half-truth: he could get through this if he told a half-truth. ‘ _It’s just that he got to touch me at all. You were right, I hate it. I feel gross. Disgusting._ ’

‘ ** _Then don’t do the rest._** ’ Angel sighed as he brought his knees to his chest, swirling the bath water mixed with his blood. Perhaps he should just take a shower.

‘ _You know I can’t do that, Alastor. Even if…I have to. It’s only two more times._ ’ Angel conceded, tears forming in his eyes as he felt Alastor’s anger growing distant. He and Lilith must have been moving away from the Tower, separating him from Alastor once more. ‘ _Focus on your lesson, so you can come home on time._ ’

‘ _Later. I’ll stop by later, before I have to be back at the palace…_ ’ Angel nodded to no one as Alastor’s voice faded from his mind and the spider breathed heavily, standing from the bloody water as he drained the bath. He adjusted the water so it poured from the showerhead, and Angel flinched as the hot water hit his wounded chest.

He hadn’t completely lied to Alastor: he _hated_ having to smile and play along with Seviathan’s game while they were filming. The way Seviathan had toyed with his body, purposefully touching him in places he had wounded him before, and even grabbing Angel’s arm exactly the same way he had the night he ripped it off. It had taken all of Angel’s willpower to stay in character, to _pretend_ he was aroused and enjoying it but it was when Seviathan reached to touch his slit that Angel lost it. The spider slammed his hands into the tiles as he remembered, letting out a hoarse cough.

“ _Fuck you Seviathan._ ” Angel cursed as his tears fell faster, lost in the water that poured from above. Seviathan had been hiding was he was doing from Valentino, disguising it as him fingering Angel’s ass inside the leotard, violating the spider while Angel struggled to get free of his bonds. Alastor…that part of himself belonged to _Alastor alone_ and as soon as Val had called for them to pause and the moth had removed the gag from Angel’s mouth, the spider demanded to be freed. Valentino obliged, as part of his new contract gave Angel the right to end any shoot early regardless of the reason, and the spider stomped out of the Studios, not even bothering to return to his dressing room. He wanted to be as far away from Seviathan as possible, and he didn’t even care about the strange looks he got while walking down the street.

“ _Dammit…_ ” Angel sobbed, pounding his arm weakly against the tile. How could he face Alastor _now?_ It wasn’t even a matter of finishing the other shoots: Angel knew if he told Alastor, the radio demon wouldn’t hesitate to go challenge Seviathan. Even if the Von Eldritch’s were second to the Magne family, the fact Lucifer had allowed Seviathan to date Charlie spoke volumes about how close they were, and Angel doubted the king would be happy about Alastor ruining that. Lucifer obviously didn’t care about Angel’s wellbeing and the spider knew that Seviathan violating him would mean nothing to the King, even if it meant everything to Alastor.

“Angel?” The spider felt his heart race as he heard the door to the radio tower open, and he fought to hide his pain as Alastor called out to him. The sound of the door closing made the spider jump, and each step of Alastor’s heels were like thunderclaps in his ears as he heard and felt the prince drawing closer to him. Angel sat back down in the tub as Alastor opened the door to the bathroom, dropping his head down to his knees as he heard the door softly close behind the radio demon. “ _Mon meuf…_ ”

“I’m sorry Al, I shouldn’t be like this.” Angel breathed, doing his best to get his tears under control. He heard Alastor’s soft footsteps as the radio demon approached the tub and he sniffled as he heard Alastor kneel down. “You’re dealing with Mimzy every day for me, I only have to put up with him three times.”

“True, Anthony, but Mimzy didn’t abuse me. _I_ did that to her.” Angel flinched as he felt Alastor’s glove on his wet fur, and he buried his face further into his chest as he felt the radio demon’s regret and concern. “ _I_ don’t have to sleep with Mimzy anymore.”

“I-”

“ _It’s alright to not be okay._ ” Alastor cooed, and Angel was surprised as he heard Alastor get into the bath with him and he looked up to see the radio demon crouched in front of him. Alastor’s ears fell as the water began to drench his hair, and Angel could feel the radio demon’s mirth at his surprise.

“Al, your clothes-”

“Will be fine.” The radio demon cradled Angel’s face in his hands, leaning forward to gently kiss the spider. Angel felt his heartache increase as his thoughts drifted back to how Seviathan had violated him, and the spider shivered in his lover’s hands. Angel placed all of his hands on Alastor, gripping the radio demon’s clothing tightly as they sat underneath the warm water.

“How…” Angel started, his body shaking as he started crying again. He just wanted to forget, and he wanted to feel right again. “How long until you have to be back?”

“An hour ago.” Alastor chuckled and Angel smiled wistfully, looking up to see the devious grin on Alastor’s face. The prince stroked Angel’s cheeks gently, meeting the spider’s pink eyes with his soft red ones. “Lucifer does not approve of you, but it seems my stepmother is of a different opinion. She led me out here on the pretense of a lesson, so I’d have an excuse to spend time with you.”

“So…”

“So, I’m here for as long as you need me. Lilith and I will meet up again before heading back to the palace.” Alastor grinned, finally standing up and pulling Angel to his feet. Angel winced as the water once again began to hit his raw chest and he groaned as Alastor gently touched his bleeding fur. He could feel Alastor’s regret and pain at seeing Angel hurt and the spider closed his eyes. “Was it really so bad you had to harm yourself?”

“ _Yes._ ” Angel admitted, tapping Alastor’s shoulder for permission to touch him. He felt the radio demon’s consent, and he pulled Alastor into a tight hug, burying his face in his lover’s neck. “ _Just, help me forget_. I don’t want to spend the rest of the night remembering his touch.”

“As you wish, _mon Ange._ ” Alastor gripped Angel’s hand tightly as they stepped out of the shower, the radio demon’s Shadow reaching back to stop the water. Alastor carefully led Angel to the bedroom and the spider could feel his concerns starting to melt away with that gentle touch. The subtle warmth of Alastor’s glove against his fur, the slight concern and happiness that he could feel from the radio demon all served to push Seviathan further and further from Angel’s thoughts. He knew Val would want an answer about him continuing the shoots tomorrow, but he could think about that tomorrow.

“Can ya…leave ‘em off?” Angel asked, causing Alastor to pause as he reached to flick on the lights and the spider heard as his lover chuckled.

“Darkness it is then.” Alastor carefully led them to the bed as the door closed behind them and Angel climbed into the radio demon’s lap, only slightly surprised to find that Alastor’s clothes were already dry. Of course he would use magic for that. “Will this suffice, _mon ange?_ ”

“Can…can we lay down? Just cuddle until I fall asleep?” Angel asked tentatively and he felt his heart swell as Alastor laughed, pulling Angel down with him as he laid back on the bed. He then rolled the pair onto their side, and Angel clutched both of Alastor’s hands as he draped his lower hands on the radio demon’s waist. “I wish you could still be here when I wake up.”

“As do I, Anthony.” Alastor cooed and the spider sighed heavily as he closed his eyes, snuggling closer to the radio demon on the bed. He could feel Alastor’s love and concern pouring through their bond and he let those emotions fill him, drifting off into a blissful empty sleep.


	9. Joining Their Game

Alastor gently adjusted Angel on the bed once he noticed that the spider was asleep, being sure to cover up Angel against the chilly night air. The radio demon gently dragged his glove over the spider’s chest, healing the raw wound Angel had given himself in the bath. Seeing Angel harm himself over Seviathan made Alastor want to beat the fish into the ground, but the prince merely sighed, standing from the bed. Something about being with Angel softened Alastor and even the radio demon had to admit that Husk was right to some extent. Being with Angel _was_ changing him, but they were changes he was happy to make.

“I love you, my sweet Angel.” Alastor whispered, leaning over the spider to place a gentle kiss on the sleeping demon. The radio demon’s heart ached as he was forced withdraw, slowly closing the bedroom door behind him as he made his way down the steps of the tower. He saw Fat Nuggets sitting on the couch, the pig clearly worried about his owner. Alastor sighed, gently patting the demonic pet. “Continue to take care of him, until I can come back again.”

The pig merely looked back up to him with its dark eyes, but Alastor smiled, scratching Fat Nuggets behind the ears as he drifted away from the couch. Alastor carefully made his way to the unlit bathroom, looking over to the bloodstained bathtub. There was still a small puddle of water in the bottom, Angel’s blood swirling in the clear liquid. The radio demon slowly swirled his glove in the droplets, unable to help himself as he leaned down, drinking the sweet liquid. Alastor let out a gasp of pleasure at tasting Angel’s blood, knowing that his eyes were glowing in the dark room.

‘ _Just a taste tonight._ ’ Alastor told himself as he stood, waving his hand over the tub to clear away the remaining stains. The radio demon desired nothing more than to go back upstairs and drink the fluid from its source, but given Angel’s mental state, Alastor told himself to leave it alone. Angel needed comfort and reassurance, not more pain, regardless of the fact that Alastor knew the spider would let him. To run his claws through that pristine white fur, to soak it a beautiful deep red as he claimed his partner, made Angel forget about the Eldritch.

“Time to go.” Alastor breathed, stepping out of the bathroom as he headed to the front door. He needed to leave, before he could no longer resist the temptation of taking his spider again. Opening the door revealed Lilith waiting outside, almost glowing in the dark evening.

“Are you ready, Alastor?” Lilith’s voice was soft and Alastor could help but sigh as he stepped down beside her. The Queen glanced down at her stepson as he looked back to the Tower, glancing up to the bedroom where Angel slept peacefully.

“No, but I have no choice.” The radio demon groaned, falling beside his stepmother as they began their way back to the palace. Alastor wasn’t sure what Lilith’s actually motivation was, whether she truly liked the pair or wanted something out of Alastor, but he was grateful that she had allowed him to give Angel at least a few hours of comfort. “Thank you, Lilith.”

“Hmm. Don’t thank me yet.” Lilith giggled, bringing her hand to her mouth to cover her smile. “Wait until we’ve gotten away with my little deception first. Perhaps we can do it again.”

“I…” Alastor didn’t want to admit it, but he liked the idea, even if it meant having to work with his stepmother. He truly had no issues with Lilith: for the most part, he thought she was beautiful, talented and gentle demoness. After all, despite Charlie’s shortcomings as the heir and agreeing to replacing her, it was obvious Lilith still doted and loved her daughter and she only relented to Lucifer to please him. But she was still married to that creature, and Alastor knew that meant there was more to Lilith than she allowed him to see.

“Don’t fear. Alastor. I’m not doing this just out of kindness.” Lilith chuckled, and Alastor gave the Queen a sideways glance as she glanced down at him. Her smile was full of pity and hidden malice and Alastor glared up at her as he waited for her to continue. “It’s been a long time since Lucifer and I have played, so I want to see who will win.”

“Win?”

“He wants to push you away from your little Angel, so I will push you together. A tug of war, so to speak, with you as the rope.” Lilith chuckled as Alastor growled. He and Angel _were not_ playthings for Lucifer and Lilith to toy with, to play and fight over. The Queen seemed to know the radio demon’s thoughts, her grin growing wider as his scowl grew. “I _know_ you hate the idea, but if it means getting your way, do you really mind? Luci is determined to separate you regardless of my intentions, so at least my goals work in your favor.”

“You’re helping me for your _own_ entertainment.” Alastor growled and Lilith chuckled again, glancing up as they drew closer to the palace. “There must be more than just you wanting to beat Lucifer.”

“Perhaps. A little treat if I win, something I would be denied if Luci won.” Lilith admitted, leaning down to whisper in Alastor’s ear. The radio demon was unable to help the shiver than ran through him, the slight arousal as her breath caressed his skin. “I would _love_ to taste that sweet lust you carry for him, and him alone.”

“So, to have your assistance, I have to let you feed off us?” Alastor spoke through gritted teeth, his heart a turmoil of emotions. On one hand, having Lilith’s help would allow him to sneak out the palace more easily and spend more time with Angel and less time near Mimzy. On the other, he hated the idea of allowing the succubus anywhere _near_ him and Angel while they were being that close and intimate. It was already a desire he barely indulged and the idea of Lilith being nearby when he chose to indulge it _disgusted him._

 _“_ I can see that the idea is distasteful to you Alastor but think about the reward. _”_ Lilith chuckled, standing up from her stepson as Alastor looked up to the queen. “One feeding, in return for helping you keep your spider. Besides, I _do_ have a soft spot for opposites attracting. The lowly Pornstar who exudes Lust and the cannibal Prince who hated such folly, such a dynamic pair.”

“You already know what my answer is.” Alastor growled, not wanting to give the Queen the satisfaction of hearing him say yes. Lilith merely chuckled as Alastor opened the door for her, unsurprised to see Lucifer waiting for them. The King wore his signature smile, although even Alastor could tell that he was annoyed by their late arrival.

“Lily, I see you and Alastor have finally returned.”

“Of course, my love. Your son is much more attentive than you make him out to be.” Lilith chuckled, offering her hand to her husband. Lucifer took it, placing a lingering kiss on the succubus’ palm and wrist, causing Lilith to sigh. “He asked many questions, allowing me to lose track of the evening.”

“Good, at least there are some lessons he cares to learn.” Lucifer chuckled, smiling over to Alastor, who growled in response.

“Lilith _teaches_ , you _tease._ ” Alastor retorted, pushing his way past the King, wanting nothing more than to retreat to his room before Mimzy could find him. “Perhaps if you spent more time trying to teach me rather than rile me up, I would be interested in what you have to say.”

“Duly noted, son.” Lucifer called after him, but Alastor knew the words were hollow and only for show. He had no doubt that Lucifer was aware of what his wife was trying to do, and that he was now officially involved in their game, but he didn’t care. If it meant spending more time with Angel and protecting their bond, then Alastor would dance with Lilith.

“Tch.” Alastor sucked on his teeth as he made it to his room, pleased that for once, Mimzy had failed to find him. It seems that their late return had allowed him to arrive after the songstress had retired for the night and the radio demon sighed, leaning against the door once he was inside his safe haven. His only haven from the constant torments in the palace and Alastor sighed, pushing himself from the door as he walked over to the desk. It seemed Lucifer had left him more notes to review, and Alastor spread the papers across his desk.

“Angel…” He breathed, removing his jacket as he sat down at the desk, remembering the spider’s pain. He couldn’t imagine what Angel was going through and his heart sank as he considered the thought. The only person who had ever abused him was his stepfather, and Alastor had long since stopped fearing that creature. No, instead Alastor had become the abuser, a weak man who prayed on the helpless and the radio demon growled as his mother’s words came to his mind.

“ _Fufu, is that’s what bothering you? Being weak?”_ Alastor quickly stood up as he heard Mimzy’s voice, but his room was empty, free of anyone besides himself. The radio demon dropped back into his chair, groaning as he dropped his head into his hands. He _was not the same:_ he wasn’t like that anymore. Alastor growled as Mimzy’s voice echoed through his room again, wishing he could forget what it sounded like. “ _But you admit to still being a monster, so how much have you really changed?_ ”

“Leave me alone, Mimzy.” Alastor growled, gripping his head tighter. “Let me have my peace, I can’t take it back. You torment me enough.”

“ _I’ll **never** torment you enough to make up what you did to me._” Alastor stood from his desk again and walked over to the mirror, looking into the reflective glass. He watched the surface shimmer and he could see Anthony sleeping in his bed, clutching one of the pillows close to his chest. Alastor’s expression softened as he placed his hand against the glass, wishing he had stayed in his Tower longer. Stayed with Angel longer, the only soul that could understand and accept him and the radio demon sighed, his chest aching with his longing.

“You have no place here anymore, Mimzy.” Alastor whispered, watching lovingly as he heard Angel breath, the spider rolling over in his sleep. “I won’t let you get to me.”

“ _Oh, but Alastor~_ ” The radio demon sighed, closing his eyes as he saw the small demoness sashay her way up to him in his mind’s eye. Beaming that smile he had once loved, that still caused his heart to skip a beat. The smile he was starting to _hate_ so much.

“ _I already have._ ”


	10. Intuitive Learning

Alastor sighed as he put down the book, removing his glasses from his face as he leaned back in his chair. He had the morning free to study, as Lucifer was planning to quiz him in the afternoon and Lilith was kind enough to sneak him a book of the topics she claimed to have discuss with him the night she had allowed him to see Angel. If he passed the King’s test, he would be free to spend the afternoon with Angel, a delight he looked forward to. He knew Angel would be at the Hotel today, and he couldn’t wait to surprise him with an afternoon date.

Alastor glanced back down to the book, tracing his finger over the cover. “ _A Complete Guide to Sinners and their Forms_ ” it boasted in large letters, and the radio demon huffed. Boring is what it was, although Alastor had to admit some parts he found interesting. Once Lilith had left the book, the radio demon immediately flipped to the section discussing spider demons, hoping to learn more about Angel and his form. Given what Angel had told him of his background, he was easily able to determine that he belonged to a crime family while alive, and it was likely his siblings were spiders as well. Alastor had to admit, he _was_ curious to meet Angel’s siblings, but family was always a topic Angel preferred to avoid.

“I wonder…” Alastor spoke aloud, spinning in his chair. Perhaps he could just ask to meet Angel’s family? Alastor had no earthly brothers or sisters to speak of, Niffty and Husk being the closest he had ever gotten to having “siblings.” Alastor was unaware of most of his half-siblings and he and Mimzy never had children, a blessing in hindsight. He truly was curious to see what Angel was like with his family, especially since they were all in Hell, with the exception of the spider’s Mother.

A knock came his door and Alastor sighed again, closing his eyes as he debated if he wanted to answer or not. The likelihood of it being someone he didn’t want to see were high, as most of the other demons who roamed the palace were smart enough to stay away. Lucifer had given him permission to eat anyone who wasn’t a part of the King’s inner circle, and Alastor had made good on that promise after a particularly upsetting interaction with Mimzy. His guest knocked again and Alastor sunk further in his chair.

“How am I supposed to study if you won’t leave me alone?” He sneered, but the radio demon was surprised when he was answered by a haughty laugh, a laugh from an Overlord he knew all too well. Alastor couldn’t help his smile as he heard the laughter die down and his guest finally spoke.

“Come now, Alastor, surely your studies can wait a moment. After all, I came all this way just to visit you.” Alastor’s chuckled as he motioned his Shadow to open the door, Rosie bouncing in with her umbrella. She glanced around the lavish room, chuckling as her eyes settled on the radio demon. Rosie grinned, her smile almost seeming a little strained as she walked into the space. “A bit different from your usual tastes. Don’t tell me that Father of yours is rubbing off on you.”

“Never my dear, but he has forbidden me from adjusting the room. I may only add, not take away.” Alastor spun in his chair, leaning over the book as he watched Rosie walk over to the large bed, smoothing her dress before she sat. Alastor had to admit, he was happy to see that the demoness had come to visit him. Beyond Lilith’s trick, he had only been officially allowed outside the Palace once and he had spent that short time with Angel. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“Oh, just a little gift. Something from me and Cherri.” Rosie beamed, motioning Alastor over to the bed. The radio demon sighed as he stood, moving to sit next to the demoness as she pulled out a small box. Alastor was able to recognize what it was as soon as she revealed it, and his smile quickly turned into a frown. “Oh don’t make that face, you haven’t even seen it yet.”

“Rosie, I will not use that _thing._ ” Alastor spat, taking the box as Rosie handed it to him even as he glared with disgust. He refused to open it, meeting Rosie’s amused smile with his glare. Inside the box was a Hell phone, Alastor already knew that, and he would not stoop so low to use such a device. “I don’t _need it._ ”

“And here I was, trying to be _nice_ for once.” Rosie sighed, feigning hurt as she pouted at Alastor. “I thought you would enjoy the chance to keep tabs on your spider and talk with him more often.”

“Keep tabs?”

“Yes, Alastor.” Rosie smiled, taking the box back from Alastor as she opened it for him. Inside was a sleek black Hell phone, one of the newest models, along with a sheet of paper on top of it. Rosie handed the paper to Alastor, who looked it over in his hand. There were different phone number written down, including Rosie, Cherri, Angel, and…Valentino. Alastor gave the demoness a questioning glance as she hummed. “Numbers that are important while you are being held prisoner here. Valentino could let you know if Angel is filming or not. That spider carries his phone everywhere and is always texting Cherri. I’d sure he’d love to text you as well, since he can’t feel you.”

“He could call me.” Alastor scoffed, a sound which Rosie mimicked.

“You really want the royals listening in on your conversations too? Shall you invite them to watch you at your Tower next?” She offered, motioning for Alastor to flip the paper over and Alastor growled, looking back down as he did what she suggested. On the back was another list of names, and Alastor raised his eyebrow.

“Angie fluffy bootz?”

“Your spider’s Insta handle. You know, where he and the other are always posting those pictures you hate?” Rosie chuckled as Alastor huffed, looking back down: that _did_ sound like a name Angel would use. The other names must have belonged to other Hotel staff, as he recognized names that could belong to Charlie, Vaggie, Cherri, Niffty and…Husk? Rosie leaned over to see the names, frowning as she hummed. “I’m sure I told Cherri not to put that one.”

“I’d imagine it has no new posts.” Alastor sighed, holding his hand out for the phone and Rosie’s smile returned as she handed it over. Alastor shook his head as he stood, setting both the device and paper on his desk next to the book. “I’ll…think about it, Rosie. I hate the idea of using it.”

“You hate a lot of things Alastor, but there’s only one being you claim to love.” Rosie retorted, leaning forward on the bed as the prince leaned against his desk, shaking his head. “Surely he’s worth this?”

“Hmm.” Was Alastor’s only reply, the radio demon sliding back into his chair as he leaned over the book again, flipping it open to the section he was supposed to be reading. He glanced down at the page, waiting to hear Rosie leave but she remained seated. Alastor cast his gaze up to see her looking at him, as if she were waiting for something. “Is there something else you needed, Rosie?”

“I’m here to help you set it up and show you how to use it.” Rosie beamed, closing her eyes as Alastor groaned. “So, I’ll sit here until you make up your mind.”

“Rosie, I need to study so I can spend the afterno-”

“Which sins causes Souls to become fire demons?”

“Wrath, Arson, or death by flames.” Alastor answered automatically and he was surprised by how easily the answer came to him as Rosie laughed. He hadn’t even read that chapter yet…but he knew the answer?

“You know the answers, they’re engrained into you from all your years of killing and eating. You may not know specific details, but I doubt Lucifer will question you that closely.” Rosie laughed, opening her eyes to black slits. “For example, what causes a soul to have animal qualities?”

“When the sin is too complicated to neatly fit in one of the seven and there is an animal that matches their personality or sin.”

“Or…?” Rosie offered and Alastor narrowed his gaze as he considered the question. His answer was correct: just like with Anthony, his family being spiders due to ‘weaving a web of crime’ in life. His eyes widened as he considered what Rose was asking: what about him, Alastor himself? His radio qualities came from his work as a broadcaster, but what about the deer? Prey, easily startled…none of those things fit Alastor’s sin, which could easily be described as a mix of greed, wrath and envy. If anything, they were…

“Or a reflection of how they felt when they died, forced to live in that form for eternity.” Alastor’s growled turning to meet Rosie’s gaze. Rosie’s smile grew as she finally stood up from the bed, placing her hand on the phone as she reached the desk. “I…see your point Rosie.”

“Indeed you have. Now,” She slid the phone across the desk to Alastor, leaning over him as he sighed, looking down at the device. “Shall we?”

Alastor glared at the small dark screen, his stomach churning as he considered the device. He doubted Rosie would leave him alone until she showed him how to use it and just because he was shown _how_ to use, didn’t mean he _had_ to use it. Better to let the demoness have her way and submit to her demands.

“Fine, show me how to use this damned thing already.” Alastor sighed, barely paying attention as Rosie turned on the phone and began to teach the prince how to use his new “gift”.


	11. Upping the Stakes

Alastor sighed heavily as he stood in front of Lucifer, hating the way the King would glance up at him. Just like Rosie had suggested, the quiz was easy and Alastor was able to pull upon his own knowledge to answer the questions. He did make sure to read the chapters on natural born demons as a refresher, but most of the answers were simple and intuitive. Alastor wasn’t sure if that was Lucifer’s intention or not, but it had served the prince well. Unless Lucifer cheated, he would have his free afternoon.

“Luci, I-Oh, Alastor, I didn’t know you were still here.” Alastor turned as Lilith walked into the room, Mimzy shortly behind her. The radio demon huffed as he turned away, turning his eyes back to the throne as Lilith glided past him and he heard at Mimzy stopped beside him. Alastor closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he fought to ignore her presence. _Not today._

“What is it, my dear Lily?” Lucifer gently placed the paper down, giving his wife his full attention as she approached him. Alastor fought his desire to scowl, wanting his answer as soon as possible and the _last_ thing he wanted to do was watch the King and Queen be intimate with one another. But Lilith glided to her husband nonetheless, Lucifer taking her hand as he kissed her wrist again, playfully biting the succubus. “I’m looking over little Al’s test.”

“By all means, finish.” Lilith smiled, casting a knowing glance down to the radio. Her eyes flashed with mischief and Alastor forced himself to smile back. “I wouldn’t want to hold up our lovely prince.”

“He can wait, Apple~” Lucifer cooed, offering his own smile down to the prince which Alastor answered with a scowl. “Or is this something we should handle in private?”

“At the very least, not here.” Lilith chuckled, this time casting her gaze down to Mimzy. “Do you mind waiting a little longer dear? I promise we’ll be quick.”

“Do what you must, your Majesty.” Was Mimzy’s cheerful answer and Alastor took a deep breath as the couple disappeared from sight, fading into transparency as he stood next to the demoness. An uncomfortable silence began to fill the throne room and Alastor struggled not to say anything. He wanted Mimzy to _leave_ before she opened her mouth, before she ruined what had otherwise been a good day so far.

Alastor shuffled as they stood, bobbing his head as he sung a tune in his mind. Silence, all he had to do was wait in silence until Lucifer and Lilith returned and then he would be free. No doubt the pair had left the songstress here on purpose, knowing that Mimzy would do her best to rile him up. To remind him of-

“So how is Angel? Have you attempted to make time for him?” Alastor sighed heavily as Mimzy spoke, his smile growing tight. He opened his eyes to glance down at her, blinking slowly. She was keeping her gaze ahead, refusing to look at the prince. “Or is he just pinning in solitude?”

“While I am sure Angel always misses me, I do make time for him when I can.” Alastor cooed softly, quietly summoning his mic behind his back. He deftly hit Mimzy in the back of the head with it before allowing it to vaporize, appearing as if he had never moved. Alastor’s grin grew as he heard the songstress growl and he kept his gaze forward as he imagined her glaring up at him. “Although _someone_ keeps goading me into trouble and costing me valuable time with him.”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean, Alastor.” Mimzy’s voice was as cheerful as always and Alastor couldn’t help his slight disappointment at her recovery. They had been doing this song and dance for almost a month and a half now, and Mimzy was always a fast learner. “I’m merely talking to you. Am I not allowed?”

“You may talk all you wish, dear, but it does not mean I will listen.”

“No different than before then. After all,” Mimzy chuckled, bumping Alastor with her elbow as she laughed. The radio demon fought his desire to retaliate, instead choosing to take a deep breath and maintain his smile as he stared at the throne. Mimzy’s disappointment at the lack of a reaction was palpable, but the radio demon had grown used to her touching him again. At first it was enough to send him into a frenzy, but Alastor had since learned to ignore it, denying her the rise she wanted. “You never seemed to miss _me._ ”

“I missed you more than you’ll ever know, Mimzy.” Alastor admitted, feeling his chest begin to ache with his words. _By Lucifer,_ he _hated_ this so much, hated how he could still care for a woman who had trampled all over his feelings and was _adamant_ that he had none. He had not been right, he admitted that, but he didn’t deserve _this._ “I may have had a poor way of showing it, but I did miss you.”

“Obviously not enough.” Mimzy sneered and this time Alastor chanced a glance down to meet her gaze. She glared at him through the corner of her eye, her fist balled in anger as she fought her own desire to confront him. “Not enough to _care._ ”

“Is it more satisfying, Mimzy,” Alastor sighed, feeling his heartache giving way to anger as he was forced to continue listening to her voice. Continue listening to her _lies._ “To stand here and accuse me of things you know nothing about, than to accept that we were simply incompatible and I am happy with someone else?”

“ _I’m the one incapable of accepting us as incompatible?_ ” Mimzy laughed, the sound echoing through the empty chambers. “No, my dear Alastor, I realized very quickly that we didn’t belong together. **_YOU_** _were the one who insisted and kept **me** trapped._”

“A sin I have never denied.” Alastor breathed, finally turning to look down at Mimzy. She glared up at him, her expression showing the anger he so desperately was trying to keep hidden. “A sin I do not intend to repeat.”

“Fufufu, but you already have, trapping that spider with your bond. Angel is a being of lust, Alastor.” Mimzy chuckled, turning back to look at the thrones as Alastor scowled down at her. “How long do you think he’ll wait for you to touch him again? He _needs_ what you won’t give.”

“He has his work to satisfy those desires.”

“ _You poor stupid fool. You think **that** makes up for it?_” Mimzy laughed, the sound once again echoing though the room. Alastor balled his fists in rage, fighting to hold back his flames. Patience, he just needed to _ignore_ her and wait for Lucifer and Lilith to return and he would be free. He would not allow Mimzy to take this away from him this time: not when he was looking forward to it so much. “His work will not fulfill his need for _intimacy_ , to be touched and _loved_ by another. When he gets tired of waiting on you, he _will_ look elsewhere for it.”

“Angel is happy with me.”

“Angel is trapped with you.” Mimzy corrected and Alastor was unable to help the small burst of flame that exploded from his palm. _Why could she not just leave him alone?!_ “And just like me, when the cage become too suffocating, he’ll look for a way to escape, and you’ll be all alone, just like you deserve.”

“ _Don’t speak like you know Angel._ ” Alastor hissed, his breathing growing shaky in his anger. Soon, he just needed them to return soon and he could get through this. He _could_ not allow her to trick him into losing his temper. “You know _nothing_ about him or his pain.”

“ _Neither do you Alastor. You just know how he feels._ ” Mimzy chuckled, clearly enjoying the way her words were upsetting the radio demon. “Have you ever asked him what his favorite color is, when his birthday is? Do you even know his favorite food?”

“ _Whatever I cook._ ”

“Sound more like he has no choi-” But Mimzy’s words were cut off as Alastor’s hand shot out and he grabbed the demoness by the throat. He was _tired_ of listening to her haughty voice, of listening to her talk about Angel as if she knew the spider. As if she knew him. No, Alastor may have never truly known Mimzy, just the image of her he wanted to see, but neither had she ever known _him._

 _“It seems dear Mimzy, that I need to remind you when to **shut up.** ” _Alastor growled, tightening his grip on her neck as Mimzy struggled to breath. The demoness tried to pull his fingers away, but he only tightened his grip, forcing Mimzy down to her knees as he dug his fingers into her skin, watching to blood flow. “ _I do hate to get physical with you, as you aren’t worth defiling my hands with. **You never were.**_ ”

“ _Do it then._ ” Mimzy managed to choke, looking up at him defiantly, even as Alastor knew she was struggling to remain conscious from the lack of air. Her expression reminded him a _little_ too much of how Husk had looked at the prince and Alastor felt his hand tightened, ready to rip her throat out. “ _Kill me like you should have._ ”

Alastor chuckled at her words, driving his fingers into her neck as the songstress cried out with pain. If she wanted death so badly, he would gladly kill her this time. As long as it would shut her _damned_ mouth, he would kill her a million times over.

“ _As you wish-_ ”

“Your Majesty?” Alastor quickly released Mimzy as the door to the throne opened, another demon entering. Mimzy coughed on the floor as the blood ran down her neck from her wounds, and Alastor glanced back up to the throne as Lilith and Lucifer reappeared. He heard as the demon behind stammer some excuse about waiting and the giant doors closed behind him with a loud bang.

“My, my it seems I am quite popular today.” Lucifer chuckled, looking back down to Alastor and Mimzy, the King’s gaze resting on the demoness as she clutched her throat, trying to stop the blood from ruining her dress. Lucifer’s gaze almost seemed disappointed as Lilith glided back down the steps, carefully pulling Mimzy back to her feet. The Queen ran her hands along the wounds, healing the damage as she snuck a grin toward Alastor.

“ _Close._ ” She mouthed before turning a beaming smile back up to her husband, blowing him a kiss as she turned to walk out with the songstress. “Thank you for your input, Luci. We’ll be sure to put it to good use.”

“Anything for you, my Lily of the Valley.” Lucifer cooed, catching his wife’s kiss as Lilith walked back out, Mimzy trailing behind her. Alastor fought the urge to glance back, forcing himself to look up at Lucifer as the King sighed, barely picking up the paper that held Alastor’s fate. He barely glanced over it, before looking down the radio demon, his smile twitching as he spoke. “And fortunately for you, Alastor, it seems my wife is a good teacher. You have your afternoon.”

“Thank you, _Father._ ” Alastor spat, still upset and angry over Mimzy’s words. The radio demon’s usual venom brightened the smile on the King’s face and Lucifer was practically beaming as he waved Alastor away.

“Now go, run along to your spider before I change my mind and find something else for you to do.” Alastor wasted no time, immediately turning to leave so he could go by his room. Mimzy was _wrong_ about Angel, she had to be. Angel loved him, Angel didn’t lie to him, Angel _understood him…_

_Didn’t he?_


	12. Playing by the Rules

Angel sighed heavily as he signed off on the last sheet of paper, leaning back in the chair. _Now_ he understood why Alastor spent so much time goofing off around the Hotel and in his office: if he actually sat and did the work, he’d be done too fast. It was boring, mind numbing work for someone who craved entertainment and worst of all, it was _easy._

“Fuck, now what?” The spider wondered, opening the drawer to the desk. From inside he pulled out two matching heart necklaces, one with a pink stone and another with a red. Angel never thought he would buy something like this, considering the fact they were Bound together, but now that he was forced to spend so much time apart from Alastor, he craved a physical reminder. Something he could touch and feel to remind him of the prince.

“Might as well go bother Charlie.” Angel shrugged, standing up from the chair as he slid the red necklace around his neck and dropped the pink one in his chest. He wasn’t sure in Alastor would even wear something like this, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t wear his. As he stepped out of the office, Angel was surprised to find the lobby empty. Usually most of the guests lounged in the lobby in the afternoon as Vaggie would take some for redemption activities and the rest would have nothing to do. Charlie sometimes encouraged them to leave if they had free time in the afternoon, to prevent anyone from going stir-crazy, but it was still rare that _no one_ would be lounging. “Weird.”

Angel did his best to shrug it off as he headed for the library. Today was a physical day, so it was likely Vaggie had her class outside on the back lawn, doing yoga or some other asinine activity. The library would be quiet and a perfect place for the overworking princess to relax. The spider quietly opened the doors, peeking in to see if he could see Charlie and he quickly spotted the princess sitting in one of the armchairs. It looked like she was talking to someone, however and Angel scowled as he closed the door.

“Now what?” Angel sighed, collapsing on one of the couches in the lobby as he sprawled his limbs all over the furniture. He could go mess with Vaggie, under the pretense of joining her class, but he really didn’t want to draw the moth’s ire. Niffty was busy, and there was no guarantee he could actually _find_ her. Angel’s frowned as his thoughts turned to the tiny cyclops: they had finally managed to talk once he took over for Al, and to his surprise, it was Niffty who had approached him.

Niffty had wanted to apologize for not stopping Husk, but she knew Alastor wouldn’t listen, so she approached Angel instead. Angel remembered how she sobbed as she sat on the desk, flinching with the pain. Niffty knew how Husk felt about Alastor: after all their bond would never let her forget, but she had tried to convince herself that Husk _was_ happy with her. After all, he could have broken their bond too, but he chose not to and the cyclops decided it was because he did want to share it with her. But once Angel came into the radio demon’s life, Niffty’s fantasy collapsed.

“All the anger, all the jealousy Husk poured into me, I started to become jealous too. I…hated you for ruining my fantasy.” Niffty admitted, large tears rolling down her face as she tried to explain her side. Angel’s heart twisted as he remembered how sorry she seemed, and how much she blamed herself. Thanks to the distance, the only thing Niffty could feel from Husk was physical pain, but it seemed that pain was all the Husk had ever given the poor cyclops.

“Something you want to talk about, my love?” Angel quicky sat up as he heard the radio demon’s voice, glancing around the lobby but it remained empty. He heard Alastor’s chuckle, before a pair of arms slid around his waist through the couch, and he felt Alastor’s voice breathing into his ear. “Surprised?”

“You’re free?” Angel asked, unable to help the excitement that started to fill him. This was _way_ better than wasting the afternoon away.

“Depends. Are _you?_ ”

“I finished all the paperwork forever ago.” Angel groaned, reaching up to caress Alastor’s ears as the radio demon chuckled. The spider reminded himself to tap the radio demon’s head first and his happiness soared as he felt the hum of approval. He gently stroked the radio demon’s carefully maintained ears, loving the way Alastor’s arms tightened around his waist. “I was just debating if I should go irritate Vaggie or not.”

“We still can.” Alastor chuckled, grabbing Angel tighter as he pulled himself out of his shadow, settling behind Angel on the couch with the spider in his lap. Angel knew Alastor was only doing this because the lobby was empty, and now the spider wondered if that was the radio demon’s doing all along. “I hadn’t decided what our date should be yet.”

“Date?” Angel squeaked, quickly looking back at Alastor behind him. Alastor was beaming up at the spider, but Angel was surprised to feel anger buried underneath the happiness. Had something else happened with Mimzy and that’s why he wanted to go out? Angel decided to push this thought back before Alastor could catch it. He’d ask later. “You have that much time?”

“The whole afternoon. _mon ange._ ” Angel couldn’t help his excitement as he spun in Alastor’s lap, hugging the radio demon tightly as he heard the radio demon’s tail thump against the couch. The spider quickly kissed the radio demon deeply, tasting Alastor as much as he could as he felt Alastor’s love and excitement fill him. He dipped his tongue into that sweet honey pot, filled with a taste that was _his and his alone_ and Angel drank deeply, wanting to make up for all the time Alastor had been away. Angel had been too distraught and upset to take advantage of Alastor the last time the radio had visited him, but today he was going to make every moment count.

“Then let’s go.” Angel breathed as he released the radio demon, gently pulling Alastor to his feet. The radio demon seemed dazed from the forceful kiss and Angel giggled as he pulled the radio demon into his arms. Alastor shook his head before smiling back up at the spider, his grin bright and wide. “I want a smoothie.”

“Anything for you, _mo_ -”

“Hey look, it’s the slut from a couple nights ago. I thought he looked familiar.” Both Angel and Alastor froze as they heard the voice of a demon come from the front door, Angel looking up to see one of the patrons leaning with some other demons. The leader, a sleek blue lizard demon, chuckled as he looked at Angel’s arms around Alastor and the spider could feel Alastor’s tiny spark of anger growing larger as the demon continued. “Redemption during the day, slut by night. He’s even got the new prince on his pay-”

“ALAS-” But Angel couldn’t speak fast enough and the spider threw up his arms to shelter himself from the flames that burst from the prince as Alastor grabbed the lizard demon, pinning him to the floor under his foot. The prince was maintaining his form, but from the depth of the radio demon’s anger, Angel knew it wouldn’t take much for that to change. Alastor grinded his foot into the demon’s chest, his flames focused on the prince’s hand as he knelt down.

“Angel, what-” Charlie burst from the library and as Angel turned, his heart froze as he saw who Charlie had been talking to. Seviathan smiled at the spider, waving slightly as their eyes met. Alastor immediately snapped his head up at Angel’s shock and horror, releasing the lizard as he turned to see the Overlord next to the princess.

“ ** _YOU._** ” Alastor growled, his voice broken and full of static as hell flame spiraled up from the prince, stalking his way toward Seviathan. Angel quickly moved, grabbing the radio demon as Charlie moved in front of the fish Overlord. Alastor immediately pulled back his flames, focusing them on his hands as Angel watched with both concern and confusion. When had Alastor learned to control his flames so well? “ ** _You touched my Angel._** ”

“You’re the one who allows him to keep working, I’m just paying for his services.” Seviathan shrugged and Angel struggled to hold back the radio demon. He could feel Alastor’s intense and overwhelming rage, but Angel knew he couldn’t let go. The spider leaned down, trying to whisper into Alastor’s twitching ears.

“ _Alastor~_ ” Angel cooed, and he felt his words crack the shell of anger. Angel snuck on his hands to the radio demon’s tail, gently stroking the prince as Charlie and Seviathan watched, waiting to see what Alastor would do. The flames on his hands flared, but Angel knew it wasn’t from anger: Alastor’s tail was the radio demon’s weak point and as long as Angel toyed with it, Alastor was pudding in his hands. The radio demon shivered involuntarily, balling and unbaling his finger as he fought to hold on to his anger against the lust Angel was stroking in him. “ _Let’s go get a smoothie.”_

_“HE-”_

‘ _Calm down, love~ Sev’s not worth it._ ’ Angel pushed the thought to Alastor as the radio demon closed his eyes, Charlie still watching on concerned. To her and Sev, it must have looked like Alastor was going to break free of the Angel’s grasp, as the spider noticed tips of fire that sparked from Charlie’s hands. Angel finally released Alastor once he felt that the anger had dropped to an acceptable level, and the radio demon straightened his clothing, opening his glowing red eyes to glare at Seviathan.

“You are lucky I’d prefer to spend my afternoon with _mon ange,_ Seviathan.” Alastor finally spoke, his voice still broken and dripping with malice as he stepped back, slipping his glove into Angel’s. “ _Please_ , give my regards to your _sister_ , if you can still find her pieces.”

“You’re just another Magne bastard, Alastor.” Seviathan chuckled, this time earning a glare from Charlie as he kept his eyes locked on Angel. Angel did his best to meet that gaze evenly, feeling Alastor’s anger start to flare again as Angel’s chest ached as he remembered what Seviathan had done. Seviathan smirked, bringing his hand up to his mouth and licking between his fingers slowly, obviously aware of how much it had bothered the spider.

“Yeah, and you’re just another Overlord wanna be, scooping up the scraps Lucifer tosses your way.” Angel forced himself to smirk, turning as he started to pull Alastor with him. He enjoyed the slight frown he saw flash across Seviathan face as Angel reminded him where he stood. Reminded him that he was beneath Charlie and Alastor, beneath _him._ “I’ll see ya at the next two shoots Sev, and then you’ll never touch me again. Who knows, maybe Val will let you finally fuck him.”

“You fucking slu-”

“Angel, Alastor, stay a moment please.” Charlie growled, and Angel paused, glancing back at the princess. He had never seen so much anger on Charlie’s face and the princess practically towered in her demonic form. She hissed at Seviathan, her dark red and yellow eyes narrow as she glared at the Eldritch. “You, **_get out of my Hotel before us Magne bastards throw you out._** ”

“Charlie, babe-”

“ ** _Get. Out. Seviathan._** ” Charlie repeated, her own flames rising with each of her words as she pointed to the open door. Seviathan growled as he stomped out, glaring at both Angel and Alastor as he passed them. Angel waited until the door was closed before releasing Alastor, turning to face Charlie properly as she took a deep breath. The princess struggled to smile, motioning for Angel and Alastor to follow her into the library.

Angel looked down to Alastor, waiting to see what the prince wanted to do as Alastor turned with him. The radio demon’s anger was still palpable as he shook, and Angel gently touched his shoulder.

‘ _I’ll tell her later. Let’s go._ ’ Angel tried to smile but Alastor pulled away from him, marching after Charlie into the library. Angel sighed as he followed, holding himself as the spider walked behind his lover.


	13. Her Warnings

Angel stepped into the library, surprised to see that there were books tossed everywhere as Charlie and Alastor stepped around the mess. The library hadn’t looked like this when he peeked in earlier, but knowing that Seviathan was her ex, and that he was the one she was talking to, he was a bit less surprised. Whatever the Eldritch had come to talk about, Charlie clearly had not agreed, and Angel was more surprised that the princess had it in her to be so violent.

“Angel, Alastor, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you both had history with him.” Charlie sighed, collapsing back into her armchair as Alastor sat across from her and Angel leaned against the chair the radio demon sat in it. Alastor was doing his best to suppress his anger and Angel took a deep breath, smiling at Charlie as she slouched in the chair. Her eyes were slowly fading back to normal and she took a deep breath, clearly still trying to calm herself down. “I…shouldn’t have allowed him in here at all.”

“Nah, don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know about our drama.” Angel shrugged, doing his best to seem nonchalant as he leaned further against the chair, looking around the room. “Although it seems like you two have some of your own. Wanna share with the class why the library looks like a tornado hit it?”

“He’s…an old friend, although I wish he wasn’t.” Charlie lied and Angel glanced at her surprised as Alastor looked up to him. Angel hadn’t expected the princess to lie, given her nature: whatever had happened between the two, it was obvious that Charlie was _ashamed._ Charlie kept her gaze down as she sighed, and Angel could feel Alastor’s suspicion increasing as the spider refused to look down at him. “The Von Eldritch’s are close to our family, so Father won’t let me completely cut ties with him, despite our falling out. Father considers them too valuable as an asset.”

“Falling out?” Alastor repeated, tearing his eyes from Angel as Charlie sighed again, forcing herself to sit up in the chair. She glanced around at the books, her frown deepening as she looked up to the couple. Angel knew that their breakup must have been bad, given her attitude and Seviathan must have only stopped by the Hotel to rile her up, knowing that Angel would be here too. The Eldritch hadn’t counted on Alastor though, and it was probably for that reason that he left when Charlie told him too. Given the state of the library and the way Seviathan had smiled when stepping out, he clearly wasn’t afraid of Charlie hurting him. “What falling out?”

“Seviathan wanted more than I was willing to give.” Charlie breathed, making it clear that she wouldn’t go into the details. Angel squeezed Alastor’s shoulder as he felt the radio demon’s desire to push the issue. Angel slowly shook his head as Alastor looked up to him again, their eyes locking as Charlie curled up in her chair. “You’re lucky Angel stopped you or else I would have helped you wipe the floor with him. To say Lucifer would be upset if we hurt Seviathan is an understatement and something neither of us need.”

‘ _Don’t push it Al, we’re all upset._ ’ Angel smiled, sneaking a hand to slightly stroke the radio demon’s chin while Charlie wasn’t paying attention. Alastor frowned, closing his eyes as he leaned slightly into that gentle touch ang Angel breathed a sigh of relief. ‘ _I’ll get it out of her later, but I don’t want to waste the afternoon being mad and upset over Sev. He had his time: Don’t give him today._ ’

“Thank you, Charlotte. I…will keep that in mind. Now if that is all,” Alastor stood, closing his eyes as he took as a deep breath, standing to leave. He turned a harsh gaze to his half-sister until Angel nudged him slightly and Alastor softened his expression. “I still would like to enjoy my afternoon with Angel.”

“Just…be careful you two.” Charlie sat up, turning a serious gaze to the couple and Angel had to swallow the lump in building in his throat. The look in her yellow eyes, that deep stare, it was one that Angel understood all too well: Charlie knew the depth of Seviathan’s malice, and she had experienced it as much as Angel had. The idea that Charlie had also been a victim of Seviathan both scared and angered the spider. _Slimy bastard._ “I don’t know his game is at the moment, but he’s not someone you want to have to deal with.”

“Trust me, toots, I know.” Angel smiled wistfully, turning to leave the library as he pulled Alastor with him, leaving Charlie to clean up the mess she had made. As soon as they were out of the library, Angel sighed, leaning heavily against the door and closed his eyes as he took the deep breath. He opened his eyes to smile as Alastor, who was giving him a concerned look. “What?”

“Why, do I feel as if you and Charlotte are keeping something from me?” Alastor hissed and Angel flinched as Alastor’s anger and annoyance began to fill his chest. The radio demon narrowed his eyes at the spider, and Angel looked away, gripping his chest tightly. “ _What_ are you hiding?”

“I’m not hiding anything. Sev is Charlie’s ex, but she didn’t want to say that for some reason.” Angel admitted, a twinge of regret in his chest. He felt a little uncomfortable telling Alastor after Charlie had made an effort to hide it, but he didn’t want Alastor not to trust him. He…couldn’t tell him about his experience with Sev, but he could tell Alastor Charlie’s secret. “I’ll drag it out of her later, but I’m guessing that has to do with why he stopped by.”

“She… _dated that creature?_ ” Alastor hissed and Angel pushed himself off the door, wrapping all four of his arms around the radio demon, leaning down to whisper into Alastor’s ear.

“ _Smoothie, please._ ” Angel cooed, willing to do anything to stop talking about Seviathan. He pulled back to still see Alastor glaring up at him, and the spider frowned. “Alastor, please. I don’t want to spend all the time we have together talking about Sev. I want to spend it with _you._ ”

“I-”

“Alastor.” Angel pleaded, gripping the radio demon’s face as he tried to pour his discomfort through their bond. He saw a flicker of regret in the radio demon’s eyes and Angel exploited it, leaning down to place his forehead against Alastor’s. He allowed a single tear to roll down his face, making sure that it fell against the prince’s skin. “Please. I’ll figure it out later and tell you some other time.”

“Text it to me.” Alastor sighed, pulling away as Angel glanced at the radio demon’s back as if he had just grown a new head. Alastor chuckled as he felt the spider’s surprise and despite his confusion, Angel couldn’t help but also be relieved. The anger was still there, but it was small again, just as it had been when the radio demon had first arrived.

“That’s a new joke.” Angel chuckled, quickly walking to catch up to the radio demon as Alastor reached the door. He slowly slid his hand into Alastor’s as they stepped out into the afternoon, Angel taking the lead as they started down the street. The radio demon let out a loud laugh, tossing his head back as they walked, and Angel felt his trepidation fading with the sound. “Really caught me off guard with that one.”

“I’m not joking, Anthony.” Angel cast another surprised glance as a sleek black Hell Phone materialized in Alastor’s hand. The radio demon held it as if it were a piece of trash and Angel couldn’t help his giggle at the prince’s expression. It was obvious Alastor didn’t want to touch it and he slowly handed it over to Angel, who took it excitedly as he pulled out his own. “Rosie said it would help me…communicate with you.”

“Hell yea, it will!” Angel beamed, expertly finding Alastor’s number to add to his phone before handing it back to the radio demon. Alastor allowed it to de-manifest before it could touch his hand and Angel hugged his boyfriend tight. “Ima blow that thing up.”

“Please don’t, I just got it.” Alastor sighed, clearly amused by Angel’s excitement and the spider giggled at the radio demon’s ignorance. Man, Angel had _a lot_ to teach the poor prince.

“Not literally, Smiles. I mean Ima text you a lot.”

“Oh.” Alastor seemed slightly embarrassed and Angel sighed happily, hugging the radio demon tightly as they arrived outside the smoothie shop. He snuck a kiss from the radio demon’s lips before pulling away, wanting to respect Alastor’s desire to limit public affection. In private, Al could be just as voracious as Angel, but in public, the radio demon preferred to keep it to a minimum, something the spider did his best to respect. “It seems I still have a lot to learn about this device.”

“Well, ya got a great fucking teacher.” Angel beamed, pushing the door opened as they walked in. The afternoon might have started off terrible, but the spider was determined to make sure it ended perfectly.


	14. Matching Hearts

Alastor sighed as the pair sat down with their smoothies, Angel wanting to sit outside to enjoy the semi-warm afternoon. The radio demon’s eyes were glued to the red heart necklace the spider wore and he couldn’t help his suspicion the more he stared at it. He had tried to ignore it while they waited for their drinks, but the more Angel avoided talking about it, the more Mimzy’s words buried deeper into his mind.

“So,” Alastor began, doing his best to sound pleasant and not angry as he sipped on his beverage. He knew Angel had to be aware of his anger, although he was sure the spider thought it was still directed as Seviathan. “Who is the necklace from?”

“Oh this?” Angel beamed and Alastor fought not to scowl at Angel’s excitement as the spider reached into his chest. The anger gave way to confusion as Angel pulled out a matching pink necklace, cradling it in his hands before offering it to the radio demon. Alastor took it cautiously before giving the spider a questioning glance. “I got these made for us to…help with the distance.”

“Help with distance?” Alastor looked over the trinket as he felt Angel’s embarrassment, waiting for the spider to continue. It was beautifully made, he would admit, the pink stone perfectly matching the hue of Angel’s eyes. When he glanced up to look at Angel’s, he noticed the red was the same shade as his own, and the radio demon couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah. When the bond was…weak, you’d let me hold you to make up for it.” Angel whispered, taking a sip of his beverage before looking away, clutching the necklace in one of his hands. Alastor’s smile widened as he felt the spider’s happiness and he watched lovingly as Angel stroked the gem. “I just…It kinda feels the same now, with you being at the palace. Unable to feel you, to hear you. This lets me hold something that represents you.”

“It…is difficult.” Alastor admitted, looking back down the pink gem. The prince gently removed the golden cord, loosening his own bow tie. He could feel Angel’s confusion as he removed the brooch, and Alastor sighed, stroking the back of the charm to make it appropriate. He slid the new brooch into place before redoing his tie, smiling up at Angel. “Thank you Anthony.”

“You’re welcome.” Angel smiled, his eyes locked on the pink heart that was now settled at the base of Alastor’s neck. The radio demon brought his hand to the charm, unable to help his own smile as he stroked it. Yes, Angel was right: having this reminder would make the distance easier to manage. Alastor’s smile started to fade as he felt Angel’s worry and he quickly glanced up to see that the spider’s smile had begun to fade.

“Is something the matter, Anthony?”

“Al, what happened? You were…upset when you came to get me.” Alastor frowned at Angel’s question, keeping his hand on the charm as he considered his answer. He didn’t want to talk about Mimzy or admit that her words were starting to get to him. The fact he had been upset over the necklace before giving Angel a chance to explain was proof of that and the prince sighed heavily, dropping his hand back to the table.

“Angel, are…are you still happy with me?”

“What kind of question is that? Of course I am!” The spider exclaimed, and Alastor couldn’t help but chuckle at Angel’s blatant honestly. He shook his head as he sipped on his drink, smiling slightly. He felt a trickle of anger from Anthony and looked up, surprised to see the spider’s eyes narrow. “Is Mimzy trying to tell you I’m not?”

“More that you won’t _stay_ happy but yes.” Alastor admitted, thinking back the songstress’ words as he glanced away. A being of lust… _could_ Angel truly stay happy with someone like him? Would he eventually look elsewhere for the intimacy Alastor couldn’t provide? “She…reminded me that we are very different.”

“Well, she can shove her ‘reminders’ straight up her ass.” Angel huffed, reaching across the table and grabbing Alastor’s hand tightly. The radio demon was slightly surprised by the venom in Angel’s voice and he looked up to see the spider’s face very close to his own, Angel having stood up from his seat to lean over the table. “ _I love ya, Al, and_ no jealous fucking harpy gonna change that.”

“I highly doubt she’s jealous Angel.” Alastor chuckled, pulling his hand away as Angel sat back down heavily. “Besides…not everything she says is untrue.”

“Let me guess: that I’m going to get tired of ya not being physical with me? For having to ask every time I want to touch ya? That I’ll get frustrated with us not having sex?” Angel offered and Alastor was once again surprised by how intuitive the spider was. Alastor watched as Angel huffed, frowning as he looked away, angrily sipping on his smoothie. “I ain’t all about sex Al. Sure it’s my job, which I love for the most part, and I like that people see me as sexy. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned,”

Angel snuck his hand back across the table this time, using a third to grab the necklace as he tapped Alastor’s fingers. The radio demon chuckled, gently accepting the spider’s hand: strange to ask for permission after just grabbing him mere seconds ago, but Alastor appreciate the thought all the same. Angel sighed as he brought his drink down and Alastor’s smile began to fade as he felt the pain and anxiety settle back in.

“Just because someone fucks me, doesn’t mean they love me.” Angel finally whispered, taking a deep breath as Alastor squeezed his hand. Somehow the radio demon knew Angel was referring to Valentino and Seviathan, but he fought to keep from asking. Valentino’s abuse, Alastor was more than aware of but Seviathan’s…other then Angel’s immense hatred for the Eldritch, he had no idea what the Overlord had done. A part of him wanted to know, but another part knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from killing Seviathan if he did. “Sex for work is one thing, but sex because ya care…it’s different. I don’t care that we don’t fuck. Knowing you care is enough.”

“Then why are you so sure that I do?” Alastor asked, genuine curiosity getting the better of him as Angel laughed at the question. The spider then gave the radio demon a strange look, one that made Alastor’s heart skip a beat in his chest.

“Cause of the way you look at me, honestly.” Angel smiled, taking another sip of his drink, reminding Alastor of his. The prince reached across himself to grab the beverage, slightly disappointed to learn that it had started to melt in his ignorance of it. “You always have such a hungry desperate look when ya look at me.”

“I do?”

“Yeah, I noticed it around the time I asked to be friends.” Angel admitted, scoffing quietly as he smiled and Alastor squeezed the spider’s hand tighter in his own. He didn’t mean to look at Angel that way, and yet…it seemed it made Angel happy. “I wasn’t sure what it meant until…that first kiss. Then I understood. It was because ya wanted me.”

“Hm. Most would consider someone looking at them hungrily a bad thing.” Alastor chuckled, smiling as Angel joined him. The radio demon’s chest began to ache more as he felt the spider’s love join his own, the feeling growing stronger as it bounced between them.

“Yeah, but you’ve never liked the way I look, so I knew it wasn’t like that. Ya still don’t really.” Angel sighed, a bit of disappointment seeping and Alastor spoke quickly to dispel it.

“You’re not that bad, Anthony.” Alastor admitted, flinching as he felt the disappointment increase. He took a sip of his drink, realizing that he had absolutely no idea what to say to make Angel feel better. “Your…physical appearance is better now that you look healthy and not starved.”

“Healthy huh?” Angel repeated and the radio demon sighed as he felt the disappointment give way to mirth. “I guess that’s one way to put it.”

“Is there a way you’d prefer?”

“Nah, I know you find me more physically attractive now, and that’s enough for me.” Angel admitted, turning back to look at the prince. “You loved me despite your distaste for my body and it makes me happy that it was never the reason you wanted me.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Alastor’s agreed, his eyes boring into the spiders as silence began to fill the void between them. It was slight, but the radio demon could feel the beginnings of arousal seeping through their bond as Angel stared at him. Alastor couldn’t help but chuckle, leaning across the table as he looked up into those pink orbs. Mimzy was right: Alastor couldn’t be intimate with Angel as mush as the spider wanted, but today, he felt a need to prove her wrong. “If you would prefer, I can r _emind_ you just how attractive I find your soul.”

“Physically or otherwise?” Angel joked and Alastor couldn’t help his dark chuckle as he motioned his Shadow forward under the table. The creature tightly gripped the spider’s thigh, giving Angel’s fur a long, loving lick. Alastor sighed heavily as Angel fought to keep from moaning, gripping his smoothie tightly on the table.

“I could go on for hours on how much I love every aspect of you, Anthony.” Alastor chuckled, motioning the Shadow to bury its face between the spider’s legs, causing Angel to release a slight yelp of surprise. “ _In fact, I **could** take the rest of the afternoon to do so._”

“ _Please do_.” Angel begged and the radio demon stood, sliding his glove across the table as he slowly walked over to the spider. He loved the way Angel watched his hand, the spider’s desire and arousal only growing as Alastor drew closer. The radio demon gently placed his hands on the spider’s shoulders, leaning down to whisper into Angel’s ear.

“ _Anything for you, Mon Ange~_ ”


	15. Total Eclipse

Angel rolled over on the bed, happy as he felt his arm bump into something solid in the bed beside him. For once, he was not alone in bed, and the thought made his chest ache with warmth as he ran his hands across Alastor’s chest. The evening light streamed in from the window next to the bed, and the spider sighed heavily as he considered what it meant. The afternoon had passed all too quickly, just like all of Alastor’s visits.

“Something wrong, Anthony?” Angel forced himself to smile as he rolled back onto his side, looking down to Alastor on the bed. The radio demon was still fully dressed, with only his gloves missing from where he had pleasured the spider. This had been the first time Alastor had been intimate with Angel since they fixed the bond and honestly, after that, Angel didn’t care if they _never_ had sex again. Angel chuckled as he thought back to Mimzy: she was _insane_ to give up a lover like Alastor.

“Only the fact that I can’t keep you longer.” Angel chuckled, stroking the pink brooch as Alastor laughed with him. The spider pulled gently on the brooch as he pulled the prince close for a kiss, sighing happily as he still tasted himself on the prince’s lips. He did his best to clean Alastor’s mouth of his juices, his tongue trailing out onto the radio demon’s cheek. Alastor chuckled at this, slightly pushing back on the spider to look at Angel’s face. The radio demon had a cheeky smile on his face and Angel couldn’t help but smile back at his lover.

“Hmhm, one would think you hadn’t had enough, Angel.”

“Oh, I’ll _never_ have enough of you Alastor babe.” Angel cooed, placing one final kiss on Alastor’s forehead before pulling away, stretching his arms toward the ceiling. He glanced out the window again, sighing again with the darkening sky. “Ya should get ready to head back.”

“Hmmm, what if I don’t want to?” Angel was surprised as he heard Alastor shuffle behind him, the radio demon nibbling on the spider’s neck as he traced the outline of Angel’s heart over his chest. Angel couldn’t help his shiver as the radio demon held him tightly, sinking his teeth deep into the spider’s fur once again, before licking the bloody wound. “What if I’m not done with you?”

“Won’t you get in trouble?” Angel moaned, licking his lips as Alastor gripped him tighter, pulling the spider against his body again. The spider couldn’t help his growing arousal as he felt the radio demon’s member throb against his back. Alastor had denied Angel the chance to touch him earlier and the spider couldn’t help his rapidly increasing breath as he considered getting to feel Alastor again.

“Hmm, Lilith might cover for me.” Alastor cooed and Angel couldn’t help his confusion as he sightly pulled away from prince at his back.

“Lilith? Why would she help you again?” Angel heard as Alastor sighed, releasing the spider as he slid himself back to the edge of the bed. The radio demon’s regret and annoyance began to fill Angel’s chest and the spider lightly crawled up behind Alastor, tapping his shoulder. The prince consented, and Angel gently wrapped his lower arms around Alastor’s waist, draping his upper set over his shoulders. “Al?”

“Lilith and Lucifer are playing with us. Lucifer wants to tear us apart, Lilith to keep us together.” Alastor sighed, slowly sliding his gloves back on his black, gnarled hands. Angel watched as he waited for the prince to continue, feeling Alastor’s regret increase. “I…made an agreement with Lilith in order to secure her help.”

“Help?”

“She has helped me out of situations with Mimzy, as she was the reason I was kept away for so long. If I am caught hurting her, I am denied the chance to leave the palace and Lilith has been helping me avoid such situations.” Alastor revealed, slowly stroking the fur on Angel’s arms once he had his gloves on his hands again. The radio demon stood, walking over to the spider’s closet to choose a top for him and Angel curled up on the bed, watching as Alastor hummed at his closet. “She also covered for me the night Seviathan touched you, allowing me to stay and comfort you.”

“What does she want in return?” Angel ventured, sensing a but with every statement Alastor made. Lilith seemed nicer than her husband, but even Angel knew there had to be more than the Queen wanting to help them maintain their relationship. Charlie he could see doing such a thing without requiring payment, but the Queen? No chance in all of Hell that she was doing this for free.

“To feed off us.” Alastor admitted, pulling out Angel’s favorite pink sweater to hand to the spider. Angel’s frown began to match Alastor’s as he accepted the clothing, quickly pulling it over his head as he tried to meet the radio demon’s gaze. Alastor’s anger started to grow again and Angel did his best to not let it affect him as well. “I don’t like the idea, but it allows me to see you more often.”

“What does ‘feeding’ mean exactly?” Angel finally asked, watching Alastor look away from him, clutching his arm tightly. Angel didn’t know much about how succubus’ fed, despite working with a few at the Studios. The spider preferred to keep his distance from them and the incubi, considering they made him uncomfortable. He knew that having sex with someone counted as “feeding” but knowing Alastor, Angel doubted he would have agreed if it meant Lilith would _actually_ be joining them.

“Succubi can feed in…various ways. Having sex with a lustful person, taking the blood from someone’s intimate parts…”

“So, how does Lilith mean it?” Angel repeated, leaning to try and see Alastor’s face. The radio demon sighed heavily, finally looking down to the spider as he released himself. Alastor carefully walked over to the desk, retrieving Angel’s necklace and gently placing it back over the spider’s head. Angel gently rested his hand on the red heart, and he couldn’t help his smile as he felt Alastor’s rest on his as the radio demon knelt in front of him. Angel took one of his other hands to rest on Alastor’s brooch, an action that the prince mirrored again as the spider’s heart began to swell with emotion.

“To be honest, I don’t know.” Alastor breathed, keeping his eyes locked on Angel’s as he leaned up for a kiss. Angel met the gesture gently, knowing that this was Alastor telling him goodbye and his heart ached as he felt Alastor’s desire to stay mixing with his own. The room was almost shrouded in darkness now, the faint light from the window barely lighting up the space. “But I won’t let her intrude on us.”

“I trust you.” Angel whispered, desperately fighting the desire to grab Alastor. To hold onto the prince and never let him go again, to force him to stay. But he knew Alastor didn’t want to go: this wasn’t like when he was alive and he chose to leave Mimzy to pursue his killings. No, Alastor wanted Angel to grab him as much as the spider wanted to, to save him from returning to that prison. Angel knew if they wanted to get through this, however, they had to play by the rules, and beat the King at his own game. “I love ya, Al.”

“I know Anthony.” Angel couldn’t help his slight disappointment at Alastor’s answer as he finally released the prince’s brooch to sit up on the bed. He knew what Alastor meant with his words, but he wanted to hear the radio demon say it again. He wanted to actually hear the words from Alastor’s lips, not just feel the emotion through their bond. Angel just smiled, however, keeping the words in his heart: he knew Alastor would say it again when he was ready and there was no sense in trying to force him.

Alastor stood as Angel pulled away, keeping his hand on his brooch as he began to sink into his shadow. The radio demon took his time leaving, blowing Angel as soft black kiss as he finally disappeared into the floor, the shadow scuttling out the bedroom and down the stairs. Angel caught the kiss in his hand and cradled it against his cheek as he was once again alone in the Tower.


	16. My Choice

Angel sighed heavily as he walked into the Studios, ignoring the empty reception desk as he glided toward the elevator. It wasn’t usual for the desk to be occupied this early in the morning, so Angel wasn’t completely surprised to see that none of the Overlords were waiting for him. The spider kept his head down as he climbed into the box, not wanting to see anyone as his chest ached with his fear. He punched in the number for his floor and leaned against the wall, grabbing his necklace as the elevator rose.

Valentino had been surprised that Angel was willing to finish the shoots, considering how Angel had left the first one without a word as to why. The spider avoided telling Val the truth, just stating that he wanted to get them over with so Sev would never have an excuse to touch him again. The moth frowned and seemed suspicious, but Angel was adamant to finish the shoots. He did add that Seviathan was not allowed to touch him inside clothing anymore: gloves, stockings and tops were fine, but in front of the camera, Angel wanted to be naked from the waist down. Seviathan would no longer be able to hide what he was doing, and Angel would have that much more control over the session. 

From the way Valentino’s call sounded earlier, Seviathan was not happy about the new rule, but he apparently had accepted it, wanting to do the shoot today. The spider wasn’t excited about having to get up early on his day off from both the Studios and the Hotel, but at least he would be that much closer to being done with the prick. Angel sighed again as he pushed himself off the elevator and into his dressing room, setting his bag down next to the Eldritch’s new outfit request. It was a soft velvet pink and Angel scoffed once he saw, immediately recognizing it.

“ _Fucking limp dick Bastard._ ” Angel hissed, sitting down in front of his vanity as he ignored the outfit, sorting out his makeup for colors to match. He hummed angrily at the knock that came to his door and growled as it continued. “Gimme a break, I just fucking got here!”

“Good, then you have time to talk.” Angel couldn’t help his fear as Valentino let himself into the room, quietly closing the door behind him. The Moth glanced down at the spider, frowning as he sat down on the spider’s couch, pushing aside Angel’s bag and Seviathan’s outfit. Valentino also seemed to recognize the clothing the Eldritch’s had provided, as he scowled at it before addressing the spider. “I know what Seviathan did. How he broke the rules last time.”

Angel’s heart froze as the words left the Overlord’s mouth and he couldn’t help as he grabbed the necklace again. Valentino’s eyes narrowed as he waited for Angel to answer, but the spider couldn’t speak. His blood was pounding his ears and he could feel his heart getting stuck in his throat as he opened his mouth uselessly. How had Valentino figured it out: did Seviathan tell him? Knowing the Eldritch, it wasn’t completely out of character for him to feel the need to brag about it. Also explained Valentino’s poor attitude today: he was probably afraid of Alastor finding out.

“Angel, you don’t have to do this anymore. He breached your contract; you have every right to cancel the shoots.” Valentino sighed, relaxing his frown slightly as he leaned back into the seat more. “If you’re still worried about that bastard doing something, why don’t you just stay with Charlie at the Hotel until Alastor comes back?”

“It won’t keep Sev away.” Angel whispered, finally turning back to the vanity as he began to apply the pink makeup to match the outfit. “Charlie can’t keep him away either, considering their families are close.”

“How do you know about that?” Valentino’s tone was suspicious, and Angel sighed, setting down the eyeshadow as he tried to swallow his nervousness.

“Sev…was at the Hotel the one day when Al came to visit. He was trying to start something with Charlie, but Al being there threw him off. Charlie said they were old friends.” Angel shrugged, deciding to keep it a secret that he knew the truth about their relationship. It seemed to be a secret that the Overlords didn’t want him to know, although he couldn’t guess why it mattered. “She seemed like she hated having him there, so I’m guessing she can’t do much to keep him away, especially since she ain’t the princess anymore.”

“Then we’ll protect you. Vox, Velvet and me.” Angel paused again as the words left Valentino’s mouth, slowly turning to look at the moth. Valentino was looking away from the spider, taking a long drag on his pipe as he stared at the far wall. The Overlord’s expression was unreadable as he blew out the smoke, his tone just as guarded. “I can’t risk losing you, and even if Sev tried something, he’d have to deal with three Overlords, not one. He can’t defeat that.”

“I…appreciate it, Val.” Angel replied hesitantly, not sure what to say as the moth grunted. Angel sighed, turning back to look at himself in the glass. Taking Val’s offer would be the easy way out: just explain to Alastor that he was staying with Valentino to avoid doing the rest of the shoots and he’d return home when the prince did. No more shoots, no more having to let Seviathan touch him and remind him of the trauma. So, why did he _hate_ the idea? Why did he feel this need to continue the shoots?

Val was desperately trying to make it seem like he didn’t care either way, but there was no reason for the Moth to be insistent about him ending the shoots. It actually worked _better_ if Angel didn’t back out, but the spider also didn’t know how to handle the idea that Val might care about him. After all, if the moth cared, why would he wait until Angel was taken by someone else to show it? Why would Valentino abuse him so much if he cared about him?

Angel’s frown deepened as he grabbed his necklace. Actually, that sounded _a lot_ like Alastor and Mimzy: after all, Alastor was someone who cared, but fell in love with his image of who Mimzy was, rather than who she actually was. He emotionally abused her and kept her trapped to fulfill his own desire of having someone to replace his mother in his life, to have a woman who loved him. Granted, the abuse Val had put Angel through was on a different level from what Alastor had done to Mimzy, but the similarity was there.

The spider gripped his necklace tighter as he shook his head: looking at Mimzy from that point of view, Angel could understand her motivations a little better. But just because he understood, didn’t mean Angel _agreed_ with what the songstress was doing. Attempting to sabotage Alastor’s relationship with Angel made her no better than the radio demon, and proved that she was incapable of moving on. Angel wanted to confront his issues, and even if it was still a process, Angel _did_ understand that Val was more than the monster he knew him to be.

“I ‘preciate it, Val, but I’m not just doing this to protect myself.” Angel breathed, taking a deep breath as he turned back to look at the moth. Valentino was barely glancing at the spider and Angel inhaled deeply, gripping his necklace tighter. “I’m also doing it _for_ myself. I need to let go of Seviathan and what he did to me, not just keep running away.”

“Giving yourself PTSD doesn’t make you strong Angel Cakes.”

“No, but…it’s not very different from why I chose to keep working for you.” Angel whispered, releasing his necklace as he started applying his makeup again. He heard Val’s grunt of surprise and the spider couldn’t help his soft smile as he looked at Val through the mirror. Their eyes met in the glass and Angel shrugged as he continued. “I…it’s still hard sometimes, like when you yell at me or slam doors. But I flinch less every time, and every day I get a little closer to getting over what you put me through. I’ll never understand it, but I…accept that you’re different now, even if it’s only because you don’t want to piss off Alastor and Lucifer.”

“Hmph.” Was the only answer Valentino offered and Angel heard as the Overlord stood from the couch, his heels clacking as he made his way back to the door. Angel took another deep breath as he heard the door open, closing his eyes as the moth spoke again. “Don’t be late this time, Angel.”

“I won’t.” Angel affirmed, opening his eyes as the door closed behind the Overlord. Angel stood from his vanity as he walked back over to the couch, looking down at the outfit. He must have really pissed Seviathan off for the Eldritch to raise his stakes so far on the second shoot, but Angel steeled himself, carefully stripping out of his clothing.

Angel would do this, and he’d only be stronger on the other side.


	17. My Lesson

Alastor sighed as he attempted to focus on Lucifer’s lesson, lazily dragging his finger across the page. The radio demon hated lessons with the King: either Lucifer spent more time trying to annoy Alastor than teaching, or he would choose the more boring subjects to lecture about. Today was the various means of torture used in the Pit, and Alastor couldn’t have cared less about how it worked.

However, listening to Lucifer go on about the Pit and the delicate mechanics that allowed its torture to be automated did cause the prince’s thoughts to drift to Husk. Alastor had not attempted to visit the cat since saving Niffty, not wanting to see or hear his defiant words. As time went on, Alastor found himself less angry and more…disappointed that Husk would try to sabotage him and Angel.

Although no stranger to jealousy, the feeling Husk experienced was foreign to the radio demon, and Alastor was willing to accept that he couldn’t understand _why_ Husk did what he did. Husk had wanted Alastor, that much was obvious, but he wanted to be the _only one_ who had him. Even when Angel and Alastor were merely entertaining a friendship, the cat had been hostile toward the spider, always upset about Alastor spending time with someone who wasn’t him. And Alastor did miss Husk, in a certain way: he missed their talks, the cat’s mixed cocktails and the care Husk had shown him. However, if the price for those things was his relationship with Angel, he had no desire to bring the cat back.

“Oh, Allie boy.” Alastor sighed as he looked up to glare at the king, who was glancing down at the radio demon over his glasses. Lucifer leaned down in the desk, placing his hand in the middle of the book as he smiled down at the prince. “You should be paying attention.”

“I am, as much as is possible considering the material.” Alastor sighed, frowning as he looked back down to the King’s hand on the book. Lucifer raised his eyebrows, leaning away as he adjusted the golden glasses on his face.

“Well, what would you do if a prisoner’s cell is taking too long between activations?”

“First, ensure none of the wardens have adjusted the timing, and then check the mechanics behind their room. If the mechanics themselves are broken, use an appropriate engineer to fix the cell.” Alastor sighed, reciting the text word for word as he answered the king’s question. “If a warden is responsible, ensure they get their own special cell.”

“Very good Alastor.” The radio demon growled as the king praised him, Lucifer chuckling as he leaned away from the prince. Alastor frowned as the king removed his glasses, motioning from the radio demon’s hand and Alastor gave it warily. The prince hissed as the golden sigil appeared on his glove, burning the skin underneath slightly as Lucifer activated it. “Perhaps instead we can practice more with this, since you’re learning so well.”

“I’d rather-” Alastor flinched as pain radiated across his face, the radio demon having to resist the desire to turn his head as the King gripped his hand tighter. Lucifer chuckled as he released Alastor’s hand, the sigil now having burned a hole in his glove and his hand, his blood dripping onto the pages of the book. The prince growled as he stood, clutching his hand to his chest as he followed the King out of the room. Lucifer was not going to take no for an answer and the radio demon repaired his glove as he walked silently in his father’s shadow.

Alastor hated lessons with the sigil: not that Lucifer had told him at the time of their deal, but its primary purpose was to erase Alastor’s humanity. The more Alastor used it, the more he erased his own soul, making him closer to being a creature like Lucifer and Charlie. He wasn’t worried about it changing who he was: after all, he was only ever half human to begin with and losing his soul wouldn’t affect his memories of when he was alive. No, he knew this was a part of Lucifer trying to break his bond with Angel, as just like with Charlie, without a soul, Alastor couldn’t be Soulbound.

“Tsk.” Alastor sucked on his teeth as they passed by the garden, Lilith and Mimzy practicing with some of the other singers. The songstress glanced over to the prince but Alastor quickly looked away, unable to help his fists as they walked. Since their interaction in the throne room, the demoness had only upped her game, seemingly making it her goal to get Alastor to kill her. She cornered him every chance she had, going on about Angel and how he was just like her, hiding himself to make Alastor happy. He _knew_ she was wrong, and yet he couldn’t help the way her words would bury in his mind, how _uncertain_ it made him feel. When he and Angel were together, all of Mimzy’s words and promises seemed so empty and hollow, but when Alastor was denied the feeling of his spider, he found it harder to fight off the seeds of doubt she was sowing.

‘’Something the matter, Alastor?” The radio demon looked up as Lucifer paused and Alastor frowned as he realized where they were. The large iron doors squirmed with the souls trapped inside it’s metal and the King’s smile grew as Alastor frown did the same. The radio demon sighed heavily as he walked up to the entrance, cursing Lucifer with every fiber of his being. “Now, find the token and bring it back. Simple enough, if you remember how to open the door.”

“ _Hoc Aperi ianuam.”_ Alastor gently touched the squirming metal, the souls trapped within instantly reaching out to him as he closed his eyes. With a moment, Alastor was pulled inside and he knew he had entered the lowest plane of Hell. When Lucifer had given him his tour, this was the level they had spent the least amount of time in, as Alastor could easily be trapped in this plane’s torture. It was a plane reserved for those Lucifer despised the most and the radio demon took a deep breath before opening his gaze. “ _Custodiat animam meam._ ”

The gold mark glowed beneath Alastor’s glove as he moved forward through the forest of dark trees, doing his best to ignore the scenery. He stepped through the woods until he found the well-worn path, a path he had walked too many times in life. No doubt Lucifer had hidden the token in the one place Alastor had no wish to go, and the radio demon attempted to steel himself for what he knew would happen.

Each plane of Hell offered a different kind of torture: the first Layer was simple, the Torture of Others. The second, Torture of the Body, the third was Torture of the Soul and the fourth was the Heart. But the fifth plane, the one Alastor currently found himself on, was Torture of the Mind, and preyed upon the fears buried deep in one’s subconscious. Alastor knew what he could expect, given the setting of his passageway: the Hunter would be out with his dogs, and no doubt Alastor would hear the awful barking and howls at any moment. His tail quivered as he heard the first gunshot and the radio demon forced himself to keep his pace as he walked, his hand beginning to ache.

Lucifer had warned that if Alastor gave into his fear while on this plane, he would become trapped and be forced to live out his torture, although the radio doubted the King would allow that to happen. He would leave Alastor to suffer for a while yes, but he wouldn’t give up his ‘perfect heir’ so easily. The sigil would only protect him and allow him to open the door as long as his fear remained under control, and it was up to Alastor to maintain his composure until he found whatever item Lucifer had hidden here.

“ _Alastor…_ ” The radio demon forced himself to keep his pace as the Hunter called his name and he could see the glowing eyes of the dogs in the undergrowth next to him. They growled and snapped at him, but Alastor forced himself to keep moving forward, grabbing the pink brooch at the base of his neck. _This was not real_ : he had already died at the hand of the frightened hunter and his dogs. The hunter was _not_ malicious, just a young brat who was scared of getting caught and did the only thing he could think of. He heard Mimzy’s laugh echo through the trees as he walked, the hunter’s voice shifting to one he hated so much. “ _Are you sure, Alastor?_ ”

Alastor gripped the brooch tighter as the cabin came into sight, his once safe haven to be himself, away from the judging eyes of society. Whatever Lucifer had hidden, this is where it would be and the radio demon began the uphill climb. The radio demon scowled as the ground beneath him changed, the hill growing steeper and forcing Alastor to use his hands to climb. A sharp pain on his ankle and Alastor turned to see the dogs were at his heel, snapping and doing their best to reach the prince.

Alastor did his best to shake the fear growing in him, kicking the dog off his leg as he turned to climb the hill, keeping his eye on the cabin. _The cabin, if he could just reach the cabin…_

 _“You won’t make it Alastor.”_ The prince fought the desire to look back, focusing on digging his hands into the earth as he climbed the hill. He knew the hunter was no longer the frightened boy, but a confident, hateful Mimzy, waiting for him to fall. Waiting for him to make that fateful trip that had cost him his life, the fall that had allowed the dogs to catch him. “ _You never did make it back._ ”

“That was then.” Alastor answered through gritted teeth, catching himself as his foot slipped. He anchored himself back to the ground, closing his eyes as he tried to think of Angel. His sweet, precious Angel, who was in the cabin waiting for him. He couldn’t, he _wouldn’t fail here,_ and the radio demon opened his eyes again as he looked up to the building _._ “I have a reason to go back this time.”

“ _No. Your reason is down here, where you belong._ ” Alastor grunted as the ground slanted again, the incline so intense he could no longer see his haven. Despite the incline, he knew Mimzy and the dogs were behind him, climbing up the hill as if it were normal. The hill was only steep for him, and he _had_ to climb it. “ _Didn’t you die to be with me? Don’t you love me?_ ”

“I did.” Alastor answered, pulling himself up more as the mark on his hand once again burned through his glove. The red afternoon sky plummeted into darkness and the radio demon could no longer see the footholds, although he could see the glow from the lights of the cabin, letting him know which way was up. Alastor took a deep breath as he shifted his hands and feet, using his claws to dig into the ground as he pulled himself higher. “I truly did, but not anymore.”

“ _LIES. YOU NEVER LOVED ME!_ ” Alastor felt his foot being pulled down again as the dogs caught up to him but he kicked the creatures away again. He summoned his flames to scare the hounds, the dogs whimpering in fear as he focused on reaching the crest. He could see the edge and Alastor quickly scrambled over the lip, moving away from the edge as he expected the dogs to follow him. However, as he turned, the hill was back to normal, with the frightened hunter and the dogs at the bottom. The boy had his gun pointed at Alastor, his eyes wide and his lips quivering with his fear. The radio demon quickly stood as the boy fired, the shot barely missing Alastor.

“ _You liar._ ” The frightened boy breathed in Mimzy’s voice and Alastor closed his eyes as he turned away, his chest aching with his pain. “ _Lies._ ”

“I did.” Alastor breathed as he ran into the cabin, the second shot of the hunter catching his arm and he hissed with the pain. A third shot barely missed Alastor’s head and the radio demon began to glance around the cabin for what Lucifer wanted him to find. It looked just how he had left it that night, down to the fresh kill that lay gutted on the table. He ducked down as the hunter shot again and the loud barking of the dogs once again began to reach his ears. They were approaching the cabin and soon Alastor would be cornered, waiting to relive his torturous end.

The radio demon moved into the bedroom, the glow on his hand increasing as he entered the room. Laying in the bed, on the dark sheets Alastor had never shared with his wife, was Angel sleeping peacefully and Alastor’s heart ached as he moved closer to the spider. He gently placed his hand on Angel’s shoulder but instead of soft fur, his hand touched something cold and metallic. Alastor picked up the golden idol, the sigil on his hand digging into his skin as he heard the dogs at the door, the wood splintering as they threw themselves into it. Alastor collapsed to the floor as the Hunter’s next shot caught him the chest and the prince clutched the idol close him as he threw his hand out.

“ _Hoc Aperi ianuam!_ ” Alastor closed his eyes as another gunshot rang out and he felt as he fell backwards on the floor, collapsing at the feet of Lucifer.


	18. Save Me

Alastor released a shaky breath as he looked up to the king, Lucifer beaming a bright smile down at the prince. He carefully reached and pulled the idol from Alastor’s hands, the prince gasping in pain from the shot in his chest. Lucifer looked at the prince surprised, his smile growing wider as he met the radio demon’s glare.

“It seems you were lucky to make it back, Allie boy.” The king chuckled, smiling down at his idol as he stood back up. The gold quickly changed into the shape of Lilith, smiling down at the radio demon as Lucifer hummed thoughtfully. “Although I am curious what form the idol took for you.”

“None of your-” Alastor started to spit, but instead he coughed up blood, his chest aching with pain. Lucifer shook his head, chuckling as Alastor rolled over on to his side, spiting out the black substance before he could choke on it. The king leaned back down to pat the radio demon’s back, an action that Alastor answered with a hiss.

“Be careful, Alastor, those wounds you took were to your soul, and they’ll take a while to heal.” The king cooed, standing up straight as he looked down the hall, chuckling to himself. “Although it seems as if your nurse has already arrived.”

“Alastor!” The radio demon looked up sharply as he heard Angel’s voice and he saw the spider rushing down the hall to where he and Lucifer stood in front of the door. Angel was wearing a dark blue sweater and skirt, his dark boots clacking as he rushed toward the pair. Intense fear gripped Alastor as he saw Lucifer raise his hand, and the prince reached out, slamming his hand into the floor as his Shadow grabbed the spider, stopping his movements. Angel struggled, trying to break free while he glared at Lucifer. “What did you do to him?!”

“Nothing, little spider. Alastor was merely practicing with his sigil, and he allowed his soul to be harmed.” Lucifer shrugged as Alastor struggled to his feet besides the king, clutching his chest as Angel’s anger joined the pain. No physical wounds existed, but his chest and arm burned with pain, pain he knew Angel could feel as well. Angel turned worried eyes to Alastor as the prince began toward him, moving slowly as he walked past Lucifer. “Although your appearance is timely, as Alastor needs to rest for a few days. Good to see your dedication to the prince.”

“Fu-”

“Angel.” Alastor grabbed Angel’s shoulder as he reached him, silencing the spider as the Shadow released him. The spider quicky scooped up the prince in his arms and Alastor hissed from the pain as Angel flinched. Angel was still glaring toward Lucifer before he turned away, walking down back the hallway with the radio demon in his arms. Alastor’s pride screamed at him to demand to be put down, but the prince sighed, leaning more into the spider as Angel carried him. Walking was too painful with the pain in his chest, and as Angel would say, fuck what others thought of him.

“Al, how do I get to your room?” Alastor looked up as Angel spoke, the spider pausing in his stride now that they were far from Lucifer. The radio demon struggled to look around, attempting to recognize where they were. He coughed up more blood, leaning away from Angel to try and keep from getting any on the spider.

“Turn here.” Alastor sighed, settling back into Angel’s arms as the spider started down the new hallway. “You shouldn’t have come. If Lucifer touches you-”

“Val ended my shoot with Sev today, and I felt your pain when I was heading home. There was no way I wasn’t going to come.” Angel shrugged and Alastor felt his anger flare despite the pain.

“ _Why did Val end it?_ ”

“Dunno, honestly. Sev didn’t break any of the rules, but I know him and Val are at odds right now.” Angel paused as he reached another turn, and Alastor motioned for the correct path for the spider to take. “They keep fighting and Val was even trying to get me to say no.”

“Hmmm.” Alastor hummed as he pondered this new information, motioning for Angel turned turn again. Valentino disliking Seviathan was not surprising: Alastor doubted that there were many Overlords who _liked_ the bastard. Even Helsa held quite a bit of disdain for her brother, and Seviathan didn’t seem to mind being disliked by nearly everyone. But for Valentino to ask Angel to stop the shoots and risk losing the money, Alastor knew there had to be something bigger at play, something the moth was worried about with the Eldritch.

“Is this it?” Alastor looked up as Angel stopped in front of his room and Alastor motioned to be put down, flinching as his chest ached. The radio demon pushed open the large doors, walking painfully inside as he let himself and Angel in. He quickly closed the doors once Angel had walked past him, whispering a silent spell to lock the doors as he leaned against it. He heard as Angel stood over him and Alastor opened his eyes to meet Angel’s worried gaze. “Al, what happened?”

“I was, practicing with the sigil, in the lowest plane.” Alastor sighed, sinking into his shadow as he moved to the bed, not having the willpower to walk the short distance. He groaned as he laid down, feeling the mattress shift as Angel sat beside him. He opened his eyes to see that the spider had grabbed the waist bin, and Alastor gently moved so that he was closer to the edge of the bed. “It…is not a pleasant place to be. You should not have come. Even if Lucifer didn’t break the bond, he could have thrown you into that door.”

“You really think he would have?” Angel asked cautiously and Alastor growled as he felt the spider’s fear and worry hit him. He wanted to shift his position on the bed so Angel could lay with him, but Alastor knew moving would cause his chest to hurt more. Alastor quickly leaned over the edge as more blood came up from his wound, Angel quickly lifting the waste bin to catch the fluids. “You really are fucked up, Al.”

“They were wounds to my soul, what little I have left at this point.” Alastor sighed, collapsing back on the bed. He felt a familiar tap to his back as Angel leaned over him, but the radio demon shook his head. He felt Angel’s disappointment as the spider pulled away, sliding off the bed to sit on the floor and Alastor closed his eyes. “I’m-”

“Don’t apologize.”

“I’m not.” Alastor spat, narrowing his eyes at Angel as he opened them. He regretted his words immediately, feeling and seeing Angel’s confusion and worry grow. The radio demon took a deep breath, doing his best to lay comfortably on the bed. “I…I just want to sleep Anthony.”

“Go ahead. I’ll be right here Smiles.” Angel did his best to smile at the wounded prince, grabbing the charm that hung against his chest. Alastor closed his eyes again, resisting the urge to cough up more blood. His experience in the fifth plane still had the prince on edge, and he wasn’t sure if he was more annoyed or proud of Angel for coming despite the danger. Even if Lucifer had been the one who had hurt him, Angel had to know there was nothing he could do to help Alastor. And yet, despite that, the spider had come to the palace without a second thought once he felt the radio demon’s pain.

“Thank…thank you _mon ange._ ” Alastor finally breathed, and he smiled slightly as he heard Angel’s chuckle. He felt the spider slide one of his hands close to his, respecting his wish not to be touched. “I…I’m just…”

“I know, you’re worried about what Lucifer will do to me, but I couldn’t just stay away Al.” Angel sighed, and Alastor felt as the spider’s love and fear filled him. “I mean, what if he told that harpy to take care of you? What if he broke our bond without us knowing? I-I can’t risk that. If it’s broken, I want us to know when it happens, not find out later.”

“An-”

“And I know you want to hold onto it, I do too. It scares me to think that you could’ve have been hurt today without me knowing.” Angel continued, and Alastor opened his eyes to see the spider clutching his charm tighter as he tapped his fingers on the bed. His other pair of hands were clasped tightly in his lap and Alastor could tell the spider was fighting tears. “I just hate not being able to be here for ya, knowing you’re suffering every day and I can’t share that.” 

“Angel-”

“And I’m suffering too, I know, and you’re not there to help me when I need ya.” Angel lost his fight and Alastor frowned as he watched the first tear fall. The radio demon reached out to touch the spider hand, and Angel grabbed it tightly as he began to sob. “It hurts dealing with Seviathan so much, but the worst part is going back to the Radio Tower alone, not having you there to comfort me. To help me forget what he did. I hate that you’re gone, I want you with me.”

Alastor felt his heart freeze at Angel’s words, and the spider quickly looked up at he felt the change in the radio demon’s emotions. Alastor could barely register the spider as he was lost in his own thoughts and memories, remembering how Mimzy had begged him to stay that fateful day.

She was on her knees, tears in her eyes and voice as Alastor moved around their home, planning to stop by the cabin before heading out on the road. He was growing annoyed with her constant begging, her constant pleading, hating the way she cried on the floor as she watched him walk to and fro. She _knew_ how important his work was to him, how much he _needed it_ to stay happy _._ He made time for her, didn’t he? He showered her with love when he was home, didn’t he? He pleased her body whenever she asked, regardless of whether he wanted to or not. He had even married her, despite seeing the action as frivolous and pointless. He had done _everything_ she wanted and asked of him, and still it wasn’t enough. Why did she feel the need to take everything away from him? What more did she-

“Alastor?” The radio demon blinked his eyes as he met Angel’s gaze again, those pink orbs filled worry. Alastor closed his eyes again, sighing heavily as he tried to dismiss the memory. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“You’re fine, Angel.” The radio demon breathed, slipping his hand away from the spiders. Angel’s regret sat heavy in his chest and Alastor had to swallow more blood back down as he continued speaking. “I…wish I could be with you. I hope you know that.”

“I know, Al. I know.” The spider sighed, leaning against the bed as Alastor settled more into the bed, ready to sleep. “Get some sleep. We…we can always talk later.”

“Thank you, Anthony.” Alastor’s voice was soft as he answered, his mind finally starting to drift in the darkness of his dreams. He prayed that he would only find darkness in his sleep, free from the torment he had just survived.


	19. Let Me Love You

Angel sighed as Alastor slept, the radio demon for once sleeping with his eyes closed. The spider quietly stood, finally taking the time to look over the room. Despite the additions Alastor had made, the space felt off, as if he were merely a guest in a hotel and Angel frowned as he walked over to the desk. It was an exact replica of the one in Alastor’s office at the Hotel and Angel glanced over the books across it. Most of them were books the spider had never even heard of, but he wasn’t really surprised by that. After all, most demons weren’t supposed to know how Hell worked, and Angel had no doubt Lucifer intended to keep it that way.

A bang came to the door and Angel jumped, watching as the handle was wiggled. He glanced over to the bed, but Alastor was out, not even reacting as the knocks came to the door again.

“Al, unlock this damn door!” Angel growled as he heard Mimzy’s voice and he stomped his way over the door. He quickly unlocked it and threw it open, glaring down at the surprised demoness. She held a blanket and thread in her hands, and her shocked expression quickly shifted into her usual smile. “Oh, Angel. Lucifer didn’t tell me-”

“Probably because he was hoping Al would send me away.” Angel spat, reaching down and taking away her burden, holding it in his lower arms as he continued to glare down at her. “ _I’ll_ take care of Alastor, so hoof it, sista’.”

“Wait Angel I-”

“No, Mimzy. I gave you your once.” Angel hissed, leaning down to meet the songstress’ eyes more evenly. Her pink orbs glanced down at the necklace around the spider’s neck and her smile faltered as she saw it. “I don’t care for what you have to say anymore.”

“Did…did he get you that?” Angel was slightly surprised by the crack in her voice as she asked, and he stood back up, grabbing the red charm as he glanced back to the radio demon. Angel’s pink heart still sat the base of Alastor’s neck and Angel couldn’t help his smile. “That necklace…it matches…”

“No, toots. I got these for us.” Angel returned to glaring at Mimzy, who recovered from her surprise to beam her charm up at the spider again. She had nothing on him, and Angel didn’t care that Alastor still cared about her. _He_ didn’t. “I don’t have to wait for Alastor to give me something to show how much I miss him.”

“Hmph, it’s because he doesn’t miss you.” Mimzy purred and Angel growled, ready to slam the door on the demoness. However, instead the spider smiled, leaning down again to look at Mimzy. He shook his head as his smile grew and Mimzy started to frown. “What, you still think I’m wrong about him?”

“Oh no honey, I _know_ you’re wrong. I just think it’s sad.” Angel chuckled as Mimzy began to glare at him, her façade fading completely. Angel loved watching her lose her composure and he leaned down more into her face. “You’re just so incapable of letting go and it’s just…so sad.”

“ _Letting go?!_ ” Mimzy sneered, her hands balling into fists. “ _I’ve let go and now he-_ ”

“No, you haven’t sweetie, and you’re doing your darndest to make sure he doesn’t either.” Angel cooed, standing back to his full height as Mimzy glared up at him. He kept his smile as he sighed, shaking his head as he adjusted the bundle in his lower arms. “Ya cling to your trauma, forever trying to make yourself the victim and Alastor the abuser. What he did to you was wrong, even he realizes that now.

“But what you’re doing to him now, now that he’s trying to move on and be better, well, it makes you just as bad. Worse actually.” Angel continued, finally stepping back into the room, slowly closing the door as he blew a kiss to fuming demoness. “Because eventually, Alastor will be free of you and the two of us will be happy, while you continue to wallow in the past.”

Angel slammed the doors shut before Mimzy could retaliate and he locked the door as he heard her stomping outside. The spider took in a deep breath as he walked over to the bed, looking over the supplies the songstress had brought. He was surprised to find a note buried in the blanket, and he carefully lifted it to read. The handwriting was surprisingly elegant, and Angel had to take his time to try and read the note, as Alastor hadn’t taught him cursive letters.

_Angel,_

_I know Alastor won’t make you leave even if he wants to, so I had Mimzy bring by some supplies you’ll need to give my prince back to me in a complete state. Using his sigil on the Fifth plane has placed a strain on his remaining soul, and his injuries are increasing that strain. In a few hours, his physical body will reflect his wounds, I believe he was shot in the arm and chest. When they appear, use the golden thread to seal them and it should heal the damage to his soul. The blanket should ease the puking, he needs to keep that blood inside him. Folded in the blanket is a tea made from a flower in the third Plane, it’ll ease his pain. I’m sure the boy has a kettle somewhere you can use._

_I’m sure Alastor has filled you with doubt about my intentions, so let me be clear: I do not care about you one way or another, I merely enjoy torturing the boy. The more he hates me, the better of a replacement he’ll be, and you are currently the best way to get to him. If he wishes to keep his bond with you and make you his partner, then so be it. But the two of you must survive my game first and **earn** your place here. His place is earned by **blood** , yours must be earned **by sacrifice**. _

_I’ll see you soon, Anthony._

Angel frowned as he finished reading the note, pulling out the golden needle and thread as well as the tea. He carefully threw the blanket over Alastor, the radio demon sighing contently as the material touched him. Angel waited a moment to make sure the blanket wasn’t hurting the prince, before turning to look over to Alastor’s desk. He _knew_ Alastor must’ve had a way to make tea, but Angel also didn’t want to just start going through all of the radio demon’s things.

“Earn my place, huh?” Angel sighed, collapsing into the chair. If Lucifer wasn’t planning to break their bond, what did he mean by sacrifice? What was expected of Angel in order to stay by Alastor’s side? The spider shook his head as he thought over the note, a pit beginning to form in his stomach as he considered the worst. There was more to this game the royals were playing that Angel and Alastor knew, and Angel was sure that it would be bad for them even if Lilith won and they got to keep the bond. Was there something else Lilith could feed on from them that would require a sacrifice?

“An…Angel?” The spider quickly rushed back to the bed as he heard Alastor’s voice, and Angel knelt next to the bed, his chest aching with Alastor’s pain as the radio demon rolled onto his back. “Where…this blanket?”

“Lilith sent it.” Angel lied, smiling down at the radio demon. Alastor wouldn’t accept it if he knew Lucifer sent it, so the spider did his best to hide his lie with truths. “There’s also a tea for your pain, and a thread for me to sew up your wounds once they physically appear.”

“Should…have asked…”

“Nah, she’s not the one who dropped them off. Mimzy was.” Angel corrected, and he felt as Alastor’s anger flared. Angel chuckled as he sat down on the bed, resisting the urge to touch the radio demon. “Don’t worry, I told the bitch off and I checked everything to make sure she hadn’t done anything to it.”

“Thank you, Angel, but she’ll probably be even worse now.” Alastor coughed and Angel flinched with the pain. The spider walked back over to the desk to retrieve the tea, turning back to look at the radio demon. Alastor still looked half asleep, and Angel smiled softy as he waved the box in his hand. He watched as Alastor pointed to the desk behind him and Angel was surprised to see a mug with hot water on the desk beside him. The spider chuckled softly as he added the tea bags, carrying the mug back to the bed.

“Here.” Angel carefully reached to help Alastor sit up, both of them groaning with the pain that shot through Alastor’s chest. Angel moved some of the pillows to prop up the prince before sitting back down beside him and handing him the tea. Alastor breathed in the steam before taking a sip, and Angel couldn’t help but smile as he watched. Alastor seemed and felt more comfortable now and even if Lucifer was selfish in his reasoning, Angel was thankful for the help.

‘ _Thank you, for coming._ ’ Angel sighed happily as Alastor’s voice breezed through his mind, and he grabbed his necklace. ‘ _You were right, I…needed you._ ’

“Ya would’ve done the same.” Angel breathed as he looked down to the floor. “I know I can’t stay the whole time, since ya want me away from Lucifer, but I’ll always be here when you need me, Smiles.”

‘ _I…know, Angel._ ’ Angel looked back as Alastor took another sip of his tea, closing his eyes to Angel. It had felt like Alastor wanted to say _I love you,_ but something made him change his mind. The spider frowned, reaching over to touch Alastor’s brooch. The radio demon dropped the cup as Angel stroked the pink stone, looking at his reflection in the surface. He felt Alastor’s happiness as he looked back up to see the radio demon’s face and Alastor was smiling down at him. The prince set the cup on the bed beside him, gripping Angel’s hands and pulling the spider closer.

Angel sighed as their lips touched, Alastor keeping the kiss soft and gentle before the spider pulled away. He gazed deeply into Alastor’s red eyes, sensing all of the radio demon’s doubt, fear, and relief. Alastor was scared to keep Angel with him, as much as he wanted the spider to stay by his side and help him through this ordeal. They still had two more months to get through before Alastor could come home and it was clear that being here was weighing heavily on the prince. Seeing and being near Angel was lessening the burden, but Angel couldn’t help but worry how much more Alastor could take.

“I’m scared for you Al.” Angel whispered, laying his head gently into Alastor’s chest. Mimzy constantly filling him with doubt, Lucifer torturing and antagonizing him…the spider gripped Alastor’s jacket tightly with his hands. “I don’t want you to deal with this alone.”

“I…have to Angel.”

“Ya don’t.” Angel insisted, looking back up to meet Alastor’s soft gaze. He tried to push his determination through the bond, wanting Alastor to feel his resolve. “I can play this game too. Cancel the shoots with Sev and stay with ya. I’ll adjust my clothing like you, make it impossible for Lucifer to break the bond without us know-”

“Anthony, no.” Alastor pleaded, and Angel could feel his anger and frustration starting to rise.

“Why?! What don’t you want me to see? What are you hiding from me?!” Angel pulled away from Alastor completely, blinking back the tears that wanted to flow. He glared down at the prince in his bed, unable to help his growing emotions. “Why do you always have to do things alone? I want to be here with you, Alastor. I want to _know you,_ to _share your life,_ not just your emotions. _I am not her!_ ”

“Angel, please.” Alastor begged, and Angel looked away, gripping the bed tightly as he stared at the floor. The spider heard as the prince sighed, retrieving his tea to finish drinking it and Angel lost the fight with his tears, doing his best to sob quietly on the bed. His own frustration and sadness nullified any emotion Alastor was feeling and Angel cradled himself in his arms as his skirt grew damp with tears. He took a deep breath as he heard Alastor drop his tea, the radio demon sighing loudly. “Angel.”

“What, Alastor?”

“I…When I was alive, I had a cabin. It was hidden in the woods, far from prying eyes. Since Mimzy despised my eating habits, I would always return there after a successful kill.” Alastor sighed and Angel glanced up to see the radio demon looking to the wall. There was a lost look in Overlord’s eyes and the spider could feel the slightest sense of loneliness from his partner. “I was used to hiding what I was. Who I was. I always wore a mask around others, even around my wife. It was only in that cabin I could be myself.

“After Mimzy’s death, I lived in the cabin fulltime. Alone, but…I no longer had to wear a mask. I no longer had to hide myself.” Alastor sighed, turning soft eyes to Angel. The spider felt his anger crack with that expression and he frowned as he looked away. He understood what Alastor was trying to say: it’s not that he didn’t _want_ to, he didn’t know _how_ to allow Angel in. “Today, when I was in the Fifth plane, I…was forced to revisit that cabin. My safety from a world that couldn’t understand or accept me, and…I knew you were there.”

“Me?” Angel looked back up to see Alastor smiling at him, and the prince held his hand out to the spider. Angel slowly took it, wiping away his tears as he met the radio demon’s soft gaze.

“Trapped in that torture, forced to relive the events of my death, thinking of you, telling myself that you were there waiting for me, gave me the strength to get through.” Alastor admitted, chuckling softly as he snuggled under the blanket more. Angel felt the slightest pain in his chest from the laugh, but it seemed that the tea had taken the edge off for the radio demon. “And the idol…The idol Lucifer hid for me to find takes the form of something you want, and for me, it was you. In the place where I was allowed to be myself, a place I never shared with another, was you.”

“I…understand, Alastor.” Angel sighed, squeezing the radio demon’s hand slightly and the spider closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. “I…I’m sorry. I just…I forget it’s not as easy for ya. To open up. I-”

“In time, Anthony. As I’ve said, I have no intention of hiding myself.” Alastor breathed, and Angel looked up to see that his eyes were closed again, and the radio demon as starting to sink back down into the bed. The spider slid his hand from Alastor’s, standing up and helping the prince lay back down, covering him with the blanket. He helped the radio demon drink the last few sips of tea before Alastor de-manifested the mug, smiling up at the spider. Angel smiled back down, placing a gentle kiss on Alastor’s forehead.

“I’ll sit at the desk on my phone, until it’s time to stitch ya up.” Angel smiled, patting the blanket as he stood up, walking back to the desk that resembled the one he was borrowing. He felt Alastor’s acknowledgment as he sat in the chair, chancing one last look at the radio demon. Alastor had closed his eyes again, and soft static told of his sleep. The spider sighed, slouching in the chair as he placed his feet on the desk. Angel allowed himself to get lost on his phone, waiting until Alastor would need him again.


	20. Needed Truths

Angel sighed as he sat his desk, looking over the latest suggestions from the box. Most were just cruel letters and jokes directed at him and the spider sighed as his stack of trash grew ever taller. Ever since those demons had seen him with Alastor, it seemed that rumors of their relationship had spread like wildfire through the patrons, although Charlie made it clear it was not to be discussed. Until it was officially announced, the former princess worried that they might try to hurt Angel, forcing Lucifer to intervene.

“Luci…” Angel wondered aloud, looking up to Alastor’s mirror on the far wall. Ever since reading the King’s note, the spider couldn’t swallow his trepidation about what sacrifice Lucifer expected Angel to make. What could _he_ do to prove he was worthy of being by Alastor’s side: he was just a normal Sinner after all. Lucifer had left the pair alone during Angel’s four day stay at the Palace and in the weeks since, the King hadn’t tried anything towards Angel. Alastor came home on his weekly visits, now able to spend more time with Angel thanks to Lillith, but the spider still couldn’t ignore the hammer that seemed to hang over them.

Even with Seviathan, Angel couldn’t figure out what the Eldritch’s game was. It was obvious Seviathan was trying to do _something_ with the shoots and it was obvious Valentino knew what it was, but he wasn’t willing to tell Angel. As far as Angel could tell, it mostly seemed that Seviathan wanted to break him, to somehow cause Angel to fall back into the deep pit of despair he had once lived in. But Alastor was too far away to feel Angel’s emotions and even if Angel gave in, the prince would be unaffected until he came home. The spider couldn’t understand how that would allow Seviathan to do anything to Alastor, much less remove him as the heir.

“Angel?” The spider looked up as Charlie slinked into the room, silently closing the door behind her. Angel watched her curiously as she walked up to the desk, looking for a chair to sit in before sitting on the desk. Charlie has never bothered him in Alastor’s office before and Angel was wary as to why she had decided to now. “Are…are you busy?”

“No, just thinking.” Angel shrugged, leaning back in the chair as he watched the princess curiously. Charlie hummed in acknowledgement, but she kept her gaze down to the desk. Angel could almost feel her reluctance, and he cleared his throat to get her attention. “Somethin’ ya wanted toots?”

“Sev. There’s…something I need to tell you about him.” Charlie breathed and Angel felt his heart stop. Fuck, he _did not_ want to talk about the Eldritch right now, but at the same time, he couldn’t help his curiosity. What has Seviathan done to Charlie to make her, the nicest demon in Hell, hate his guts? “If…if you have time.”

“I’m listening.” Angel managed, swallowing the lump in his throat as he leaned forward in the chair. Charlie chuckled hoarsely, sighing heavily as she glanced over to the radio. Angel followed her gaze and clutched his necklace tightly; if Alastor has been here, he would have waved his hand, bringing the device to life to fill the silence. But Alastor was not there, leaving Angel and Charlie in the quiet office.

“You can’t tell Alastor. He’s already ready to kill Sev and while not blameless, it’s not only his fault.”

“I know.” Angel almost frowned at the princess, but he fought to keep his neutral expression. Why the fuck would Alastor care what Seviathan had done to _her, unless… “_ Oh no. Charlie. _”_

“You do know Sev.” Charlie coughed, grabbing her arm tightly as Angel watched her with a pained expression. “Sev, I grew up with him and Helsa. Family friends, although not really. Their father had tried to challenge Lucifer and lost, but Dad liked his power, so he let him live. Helsa accepted the lost and wanted to prove her own worth but Seviathan…their father groomed him to want my place.”

“They wanted to use you to become king.” Angel offered and Charlie nodded.

“Yea, Sev knows Lucifer is out of his league, but if he can be named the partner of the heir, well, he has his way in.” Charlie growled, her anger palpable as she continued. “I rejected him once I found out, ending our relationship then. But Seviathan was told that he had to replace me, so he never gave up. He started by challenging me, using our families’ get-togethers as an excuse to hurt me.”

“Lucifer never stepped in?”

“Father considered it weakness if I couldn’t defend myself. Father would never let it go too far, considering they were pointless fights, but Mother was the only one who ever helped me afterwards.” Charlie sighed and Angel felt his heart twist in knots as he remembered the day he had seen her and Seviathan in the library. The mess must have been from Charlie defending herself, keeping the Eldritch from torturing her. Lucifer really _was_ a bastard if he willingly stood by while Seviathan ripped his daughter apart and the spider shivered as he considered what Alastor would have to deal with. “Once I started being able to hold my own however, he turned…he turned to my siblings.”

“The other bastards?” Angel asked, confused. Charlie nodded, tears falling in her anger as she pounded the desk.

“Yes, the others. There’s a reason Alastor doesn’t know any of them beside me.” Charlie spat and Angel felt his heart sink further. “Seviathan and his father have systematically removed any that could rival me in power, ensuring I would remain named the Heir. They felt as long as it was me, he still had his chance. Even if I never took him back, Sev is still confident that he can defeat me, succeed where his father failed.”

“But…they couldn’t kill Alastor.”

“No, Alastor is in a class all on his own compared to the others, not that he’ll ever get to meet them now.” Charlie admitted, looking up to meet the spider’s gaze. Alastor had expressed interest is trying to find his siblings before and if he knew that Seviathan had killed most of them...even Angel knew the radio demon would not hold back his wrath. “I don’t know why, or how, but Father always knew Alastor would be different. I remember, the day Alastor died, Father was so excited, he almost sent me to escort him to the palace.”

“Wow, he really did want him from day one.” Angel breathed, leaning back in his chair as he stared at Charlie. The princess shrugged, looking back over to the radio. “And you just…accepted it?”

“I mean, Alastor made it pretty clear he hated everything about Lucifer and he had no intention of replacing me. I was relieved to be honest.” Charlie admitted, looking back to Angel. “When he told us how he went to Father to protect you, well, it really put into perspective how much he cares about you.”

“Yeah, Alastor…he’s going through a lot for me.” Angel admitted, grabbing his necklace tighter as he looked down to his lap. “I…wish I could do more for him.”

“I’m sure you give him more than you realize.” Charlie offered, and Angel looked up to see her strained smile. He met the expression as best he could, relaxing his grip on the charm. “But with Sev’s father, when he realized Alastor didn’t want to replace me and he couldn’t kill him easily, he and Sev set a backup plan.”

“Back-up?”

“Yes, although I don’t know what it is, but they have one and I’m sure it has to do with you.” Charlie kept her eyes locked on Angel, and the spider couldn’t help his growing fear as she stared at him. He already had figured that was the case, but Charlie was making it seem…more dangerous than Angel realized. Maybe he should just stay at the palace, explain everything to Alastor about Lucifer and Seviathan. “The fact he knows you’re with Alastor means whatever plan he has, he _knows_ you’re Alastor’s weakness.”

“Yeah, I’m sure most have figured that out. But they can’t hurt me.” Even though Angel’s heart pounded with fear, there was no way he was going to let Charlie know how frightened he was. “Sev already knows that if he tried to hurt me, Lucifer will protect me.”

“There are other ways to make you hurt, Angel.” Charlie reminded him, mirroring what Valentino had told him the day of the coronation. Angel shivered in his seat, unable to help the chill that ran through him. “As well as you know Seviathan, realize that his father is much, much worse.

“Lucifer favors power, but he also needs control. An heir who can’t control their powers or use them correctly is no good to him. Alastor is powerful, but he has no experience with his new powers or all the workings of Hell, hence why Father is training him. He also still has his soul, which is a weakness by itself.” Charlie continued, standing from the desk as she leaned over it, her yellow eyes piercing directly into Angel’s soul. The spider squirmed uncomfortably, unable to tear his gaze away. “You two are Soulbound, given the right timing and the right stimuli, Seviathan could cripple Alastor through you.”

“Timing?”

“Close enough to affect you both, far enough away that Alastor can’t stop it in time.” Charlie breathed. “Again, I wish I knew how, but there are so many ways, and Seviathan’s father knows them all. Even if I told them all to you, you can’t prepare for every possibility.”

“So what are you suggesting?” Angel finally squeaked, no longer attempting to hide his worry and fear. Charlie sighed as she pushed herself up, leaning against the desk as she gazed into the mirror. “Charlie?”

“I would offer you to stay here, but there’s not much I can do to protect you.” The princess admitted, reiterating what Angel already knew from her argument with the Overlord and his conversation with Valentino. “Honestly, it’s best if you stay with Alastor, far from where Sev can reach you.”

“Yea, you…you’re right.” Angel agreed, laying his head down on the desk as he groaned. He heard as the princess slid her hand to his and Angel gently took it, allowing the princess to squeeze his hand tightly. “I’m sorry…that Sev did that to you.”

“Same Angel. I can’t imagine going through that as a Sinner.” Charlie breathed, giving the spider’s hand another tight squeeze as Angel flinched, closing his eyes tightly. “I…I’m glad he can’t do it to you anymore, but he’ll find other ways Angel.”

‘ _He already has._ ’ Angel thought to himself, remembering how the Overlord had violated him. He pulled his hand way from the princess, sitting up in the seat as he picked up his phone. He considered texting Alastor, but the prince had yet to respond to any of his messages and Angel knew that Alastor probably hadn’t even looked at the device given his hatred for it. No, this would have to wait until he saw him next.

“What about Helsa?”

“I…don’t know. Last I knew she was still recovering from when Alastor shredded her.” Charlie admitted and Angel flinched with her word choice.

“ _Shredded?_ ”

“Like cheese, or so I heard.” Charlie shrugged and Angel felt his stomach turn. “I like her, but we never got that close after my falling out with Sev. I guess I also blamed her for never helping me, since we all know she doesn’t like him either.”

“Okay.” Angel managed, swallowing back the bile building in his throat. Shredding another demon like cheese…the first thought in Angel’s mind was _how_ and the spider quickly realized that he didn’t want to know. He was willing to accept that Alastor could be cruel, but there were some things he _didn’t_ want to have to face about the prince. “Alastor will be home in a few days. I’ll talk to him then.”

“Please do Angel. I know I can’t redeem either of you anymore, and I admit I was probably pushing too hard with Husk, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care.” Charlie offered, attempting a smile as she stood away from the desk. “Alastor cares about you, in a way I’ve never seen him care about anyone. I don’t want to see anything happen to either of you.”

“Thanks Charlie.” Angel forced as smile back as the princess left, leaving the spider alone with the silence and his troubling thoughts.


	21. In The Dark

Alastor sighed as he wandered the halls of the palace, thankful for the time Lilith had afforded him. The prince has no lessons with either the King or the Queen today, and Lilith had sent one of her attendants to let Alastor know that Mimzy would be busy with practice, allowing the radio demon to wander the halls undisturbed for once.

“Hmmm, hungry.” Alastor muttered to himself, his eyes glowing softly as he headed to the courtyard. There were bound to be plenty of fresh meat there, and without Mimzy to bother him, he could enjoy the pleasant afternoon alone while he dined. As Alastor listen to the sound of his shoes echoing off the walls around him, his thoughts turned to Angel, and he absently reached up to stroke his brooch. His vigil was almost over, only a month left before he would be back in his Tower and far away from Lucifer. He had no idea what his final test would be to allow him his freedom, but Alastor knew he would pass it. He had too.

“Did you hear? Seviathan is visiting Val again.” Alastor stopped as he reached the edge of the courtyard, two unsuspecting demons gossiping in front of him. He remained in the shadows, his eyes narrowing as he continued listening to the demons. “Never thought the Eldritch would go back to him.”

“I hear it’s for the spider. Ya know,” the other demon paused and Alastor felt his anger start to rise in the silence. “The one that’s supposed to be dating the prince. The star.”

“Oh my, it still works for Val?”

_It?!_

_**IT?!**_

“Yes, Alastor hasn’t forbidden it from doing that kind of work, apparently. Although it makes sense, Alastor isn’t one for…physical closeness.”

“Poor thing, it would be better off with someone else.” Alastor fought to control his flames as he listened to the gossiping demons. Not only had they the gall to gossip about Alastor and Angel in broad daylight in a public space, but to call _his_ Angel an it…It seemed the radio had found his lunch, and he would dine well. “Seviathan is probably trying to take advantage of that. You remember how he was when the spider was his.”

Alastor paused as he began to summon his Shadows, ready to ensnare the two demons. Angel had mentioned Seviathan being a customer, never about belonging to the Eldritch. What did they mean by ‘his’? Angel had never admitted to dating anyone other than Valentino and Alastor, and even the radio demon doubted Valentino would have been so willing to let Seviathan date his property.

“Fufu, bad for the spider then. Seviathan was never one to be gentle, and we know how much he hates Alastor.” The demons continued and Alastor slid up behind them, hovering over his prey as his mouth began to water. “If Alastor was smart, he would-”

“ _Do tell._ ” Alastor cooed, both of the demons standing in fear at the sound of his voice, but he quickly stopped their retreat, trapping them in the darkness that poured from his Shadow. The creature laughed as it hung over his shoulder, both of them loving the new power that being Lucifer’s heir afforded them. He smiled brightly as he stood over the demons, his antlers making his head heavy as he smiled. “What should _I_ do with _my_ boyfriend?”

“A-a-a-Alastor, we meant no offense, we-we-we”

“Just thought it would be wise to gossip about the Prince and his Lover in broad daylight?” Alastor offered, lovingly tapping his hand on the chin of the more outspoken of the pair, the one who had first called Angel ‘it’. The prince chuckled at the fear that poured off from his lunch, tracing his hand down the darkness that held the meat as he rested his hand over its heart. “Although I am the one here to learn, it seems I need to do some teaching of my own.”

“A-Alastor, please-” But the meat’s words were cut off as Alastor plunged his hand into the warm body, loving the blood that splashed his face as he ripped open his lunch. Alastor seated himself on the bench as he began to pick through the delicious organs, the other half of his meal watching in horror and silence as he ate. The radio demon sighed contently as he consumed his meal, the other demons in the courtyard slowly slinking away, attempting to hide their disgust. Alastor growled, annoyed by their reactions and it caused the prince to pause as he considered his feelings. It had never bothered him before that others found his cannibalism disgusting, why did it bother him now?

“Hmm.” Alastor huffed as he took another bite out of the liver, his thoughts turning to Angel. What would the spider think if he saw Alastor now, sitting in the middle of the palace, consuming demons who had dared to insult them? Would Angel still sit by him, kiss him, love him, if he saw how the radio demon could be? Alastor shook his head, shoving his hand back into the body to pull out more of the meat: there was only one way to answer that question, and it was to let Angel see for himself. Perhaps, on his next trip home, he would finally take Angel hunting with him.

“Alastor-Oh, I see you are busy.” Alastor looked up to see Vox standing in front of him, his annoyance growing. Despite somewhat being on reasonable terms with Valentino, Alastor still didn’t like Vox, and he had never forgiven the TV for torturing Angel in the dressing room. Vox also looked less than pleased, as if he would rather be anywhere than in the courtyard with Alastor, doing his best to ignore the radio. “I will speak to you once you have finished, uh, eating.”

“No, you’ve already disturbed me, so might as well finish, _Voxxy._ ” Alastor spat, loving the flash of anger that he saw on the Overlord’s screen. Alastor adjusted the second demon is his shadow, moving the darkness to cover the creature’s mouth as he sat up on his bench, still eating from the first’s corpse. Vox let out a sigh of disgust but Alastor maintained his smile, looking up to meet the TV’s gaze. “Well, speak. I’m listening.”

“Valentino would like for you and Angel to accompany him and I on an outing.” Vox managed through gritted teeth and Alastor hummed softly, raising his eyebrows as he glanced up. The TV Overlord clearly had no desire to play messenger and he seemed eager to get Alastor’s answer and leave. However, it didn’t seem that Alastor was the only source of Vox’s hurry and the Overlord was quickly glancing around the empty courtyard, as if he expected to be ambushed. Rosie had been the same way when she visited, as if she expected to be attacked or accosted at any moment.

“Why would Valentino invite us out? Surely any business can be discussed privately.” Alastor remarked, keeping his observations to himself. Perhaps he needed to delve deeper into how the other Overlords were treated in the Palace, understand the reactions of both Rosie and Vox. “I see no reason to be seen in public with him.”

“Rumors of Angel are spreading.” Vox murmured and Alastor finally paused in his meal, looking up to give the TV his full attention. Vox glanced around the courtyard again before looking down at Alastor, his expression uncomfortable. “Seviathan is telling everyone about how he still works for Val, saying your relationship is practically over.”

“So, a public display, to quell rumors? Why does it need to be with you and Val?”

“Until Lucifer accepts him, how he is view by others determines his safety.” Vox sighed, closing his eyes as Alastor hummed again, discarding the carcass in his lap. He brought the second demon down, stroking the creature’s face as its eyes watched him with fear. “Valentino wants to show that you and him are on good terms as well as-.”

“ _Good terms_? That moth thinks that just because I _allow_ Angel to continue working for him that we’re on _good terms?_ ” Alastor scoffed, shoving his glove into the creature’s face, scooping out the eye before swallowing the organ. Alastor hummed contently as the gooey flesh slid down his throat, looking back to Vox to glare at him. “ _I_ still have not forgotten how you tried to kidnap _my_ Angel the day I was named Crown prince. There are no good terms.”

“I’m just passing on the message. Valentino wants the rumors to end and to show that, at least when it comes to Angel, you and him are on the same side.” Vox shrugged, glancing around again as some demons walked by the courtyard. One look from Alastor send them running, and the TV shivered as he looked back down to the prince. “He also says he has something important to tell you about Seviathan.”

Alastor paused in his motions, squeezing the second eye in his hand as Vox finished speaking, the now eyeless demon sobbing in the prince’s grasp. Alastor knew the final shoot was coming up soon, as Angel had said that Seviathan wanted to finish them before Alastor came back. Valentino had stopped the second for reasons unknown to the pair, and he was probably hoping to get Alastor to cancel the third and final before it could happen. Angel seemed determined to see them through and the prince had to admit he was confused as to why. Alastor was being kept in the dark about _something_ , and he was tired of being left out.

“Fine, Valentino can have his outing.” Alastor breathed, reaching his arm into the demon’s mouth, the creature squirming as its body attempted to fight him off. Alastor flexed his hand inside the meat, darkness expanding from his fingertips and lacerating the body from the inside. Vox watched with a disturbed expression until the meat was stilled and Alastor chuckled as he withdrew his hand, his jacket soaked with blood and saliva. “Assuming all goes well, I’ll be free tomorrow. Will that suffice?”

“Sure, I’ll let Val know.” Vox quickly scurried away before Alastor could say more and the radio demon had to admit that he enjoyed seeing his rival uncomfortable, even if he didn’t understand why. Alastor stood from the bench, walking slowly back to his room with the rest of his lunch limp behind him.


	22. Misunderstood

Alastor sighed lovingly to himself as he watched Angel walk toward the bar. Regardless of what the spider wore, Angel always managed to look stunning to the radio demon and Alastor couldn’t be happier with his partner. The spider leaned seductively over the counter, turning back to wink at the prince as he waited for their drinks. Alastor answered the gesture with a smile, looking toward the unfamiliar object on the table.

Valentino had invited the pair to what Angel had called a “Hookah lounge” and while Alastor was aware of what it was, he couldn’t say he had ever tried it. The moth had yet to show up with Vox, as the prince had chosen to arrive early to enjoy some time alone with Angel, and he lifted one of the six hoses curiously.

“Wanna try, Smiles?” Alastor hummed happily as Angel returned, sliding his whiskey to him as he sat beside him. The spider’s black and red dress hugged his body perfectly and Alastor couldn’t resist as he slid his hand around that plump waist, loving the way Angel had put in weight in their time together. Angel giggled, resting one of his hands over Alastor’s. “Been a while, but I remember how to set it up.”

“If you would like too.” Alastor answered, leaning away as Angel set about lighting the coals and pulling out the hashish. The prince leaned back as he sipped on his whiskey, taking a moment to glance around. Thanks to the booth Val had requested, they were much higher than most of the other patrons and afforded the radio demon a good view of the club. Wafts of smoke billowed below them, and Alastor noticed that many eyes would dart toward him and Angel before quickly looking away. It seemed that Vox had not been lying: there were indeed rumors circling about him and Angel and Alastor growled slightly as he took another sip. As soon as he was done with his lessons, he would work on getting Angel officially recognized as his partner, even if he had to bargain with Lillith again.

“Ready?” Alastor’s attention was returned to his partner as Angel held out the pipe for him and he set down his glass as he accepted it. “Now, don’t pull the smoke into your lungs, just your mouth, or you’ll be coughing for days. Also no spit, that’s just gross. Like here, watch.”

Alastor smiled as Angel lifted the pipe to his lips, taking in a deep drag before blowing the smoke out, a content look on his face. The spider giggled as he looked back down to the prince and Alastor brought his own pipe to his lips. The first thing the radio demon noticed was the taste, which was a pleasant mix of strawberry and some other unknown sweet fruit and he hummed delightfully as he played with the smoke in his mouth. As he exhaled, the smoke danced lovingly around him and Angel, causing the spider to chuckle.

“Show off.” Angel teased and Alastor merely smiled wider, once again pulling Angel close to him.

“Only for you, my dear.”

“Liar, you love the attention.”

“Alright, maybe I do.” Alastor admitted, sneaking a kiss from the spider’s lips as he leaned back into the seat, taking another short draw from the hose. “What is hashish?”

“Huh? Oh it’s kinda like weed, so it’ll do stuff to ya.” Angel shrugged and Alastor frowned as he exhaled again, not pleased to hear that it was more than simple tobacco. Angel immediately reacted to feeling Alastor’s annoyance, raising his hands in defense. “No, nothing like that. It just kinda, mellows you out. How much depends on how much you smoke.”

“Mellow?”

“Like, calm down. Maybe lose track of time, or hyper focus on one thing.” Angel offered and Alastor hummed thoughtfully, placing his hose on the provided plate as he lifted his glass again. He felt Angel’s worry as the spider took another drag, staring off into the distance as he spoke again. “I mean, for me, I’d usually just focus on the patterns on the ceiling. It would help me forget…what was happening.”

Alastor frowned as he felt the spider’s heartache and he knew what was going through Angel’s mind without being able to hear his thoughts. As much as Alastor liked to ignore it, times like now the prince was forced to remember that Angel’s freedom was recent, and much of that trauma still lay just under the surface. Especially with being forced to deal with Seviathan, it was no wonder that the spider’s thoughts would turn to…less pleasant times.

“Angel.” Alastor’s heart pounded as the spider turned to look at him and the pained look on his love’s face only made the pain in own chest grow. He knew that it was merely the emotion bouncing between them, but he was still forced to take a deep breath before continuing. “Are you sure that you want to continue working for Valentino?”

“It’s rough sometimes, but it’s…not like how it was, and I accept that. Regardless of the reason, he respects my wishes and boundaries, and that’s all I need.” Angel admitted, looking back down to the table as he sighed. “I don’t want to be like _her_ and become a victim to my trauma. I need to face it, accept it and move past it.”

“Anthony.”

“Besides, it’s nice to have my own money to spend.” Angel smiled and Alastor couldn’t help his laugh at the spider’s mischievous expression. “Wouldn’t want _those_ kinds of transactions associated with you, would ya?”

“Depends on what you’re buying, _mon meuf~”_ Alastor cooed, sliding his hand across the spider’s lap and the prince breathed in the slight feeling of arousal that followed. “Perhaps something to keep me _fixated on you?_ ”

“ _Take a drag and maybe you’ll find out, papá~_ ” Angel cooed and Alastor leaned closer, gripping the spider’s thigh tightly as he chuckled. Angel finally placed his hose down, leaning down as Alastor stroked his cheek, hoping to steal a passionate kiss from the one he loved.

“Alastor. Angel.” The radio demon released a heavy sigh as he pulled away, looking up as Valentino, Vox and Velvet slid into the other side of the booth. Alastor raised his eyebrow at the sight of Velvet, who merely giggled as she waved at him. Valentino followed his gaze and shrugged, lifting one of the spare hoses to take a quick drag. “She insisted.”

“Makes no difference to me.” Alastor dismissed, now more aware of all the eyes. Valentino was truly getting what he wanted, making sure everyone could see him with the prince and Angel and Alastor was annoyed about being used in such a way. If this would protect Angel however, he would play along. For now. “After all, this was your outing. Bring whom you wish.”

“Nice to see you can be understanding.” Valentino offered, blowing his smoke toward Vox who pouted next to his boyfriend. From the TV’s expression, it was easy to tell that Vox was the one who had to be dragged along, and he _did not_ enjoy playing nice with Alastor. The idea of making his rival uncomfortable made this double-date more entertaining, and the radio demon beamed a bright smile to the Tv Overlord.

“Although, I must say, I’m surprised Vox could clean up so well.” Alastor cooed, nodding toward the Tv’s matching suit with Velvet and Valentino. “Considering his taste from his Insta pics, I would have thought he got all of his clothes from the trash bin.”

“You fuckin-” But Vox was interrupted by Velvet as the doll and Angel laughed, both nearly choking on their smoke as Alastor sipped on his whiskey.

“Yo-You fucking check Insta, Alastor? That’s amazing!” Velvet exclaimed and the prince grinned as he turned to look at her.

“Only what Anthony has shown me, and I must say, your stories are quite entertaining. Especially when you ‘prank’ Vox.” Alastor continued, loving the deepening scowl on the Vox’s face as he spoke. “The one where you replaced his drink with grease was my favorite.”

“OH MAN, Angel showed you that one?! It took Voxxy _DAYS_ to get-”

“Enough, Velvet.” Valentino finally spoke, cutting the doll off as she started to bounce, turning slitted eyes toward Alastor. The prince responded in kind, leaning back as he absently placed his arm around Angel again. “Remember, this is still business.”

“Business?” Angel questioned but Alastor hummed, releasing the spider as he lifted his mostly empty glass. The spider nodded, taking the glass as he took a last drag from the hookah before standing. Valentino nodded and Vox and Velvet stood as well, walking with the spider to the bar. Alastor felt Angel’s slight worry from the choice of bodyguards, but Alastor maintained his calm.

‘ _Don’t worry my love. Valentino’s not **that** stupid._’ Alastor thought and he felt Angel calm down slightly as he walked to the counter with Vox and Velvet. The prince now turned his full attention to the moth, keeping his smile as he glared at the other Overlord. “Now, what business do you have with me, Valentino?”

“You need to end the shoots with Seviathan. I know Angel trying to be ‘strong’ or some shit, but Sev’s not about to let him go.” Valentino shrugged and Alastor couldn’t help his laugh as he lifted his hose to take another drag.

“I’m not concerned about the Eldritch. Regardless of what Lucifer thinks, I will not hesitate to give him the same treatment I gave his sister if he hurts Angel or tries to take more than what was agreed.” Alastor replied coldly, loving the look of fear that flashed in Valentino’s eyes at his mention of Helsa. Last the radio demon knew, she had managed to pull herself back into a somewhat maneuverable form, but she was far from fully healed. Lucifer had been less than pleased when Alastor had fought her, threatening to send him to a lower plane, but like with most of the King’s threats toward him, it was hollow. “If Angel wishes to finish the final shoot, I won’t stop him.”

“Has Angel…not told you?” As soon as the words left Valentino’s mouth, Alastor felt his heart stop and he could feel the spider’s worry as his anger flared.

“ ** _Told me what?_** ” Alastor demanded, resisting the urge to slam down the hose as he glanced toward the bar. Angel was looking back to him with a worried expression and the radio demon couldn’t help his glare as he turned back to the moth. “ ** _Is there something I should know?_** ”

“Seviathan…has already broken the rules. On Angel’s first shoot.” Alastor did his best to swallow his anger as Valentino spoke, keeping his flames under control. That first shoot…the night Angel had hurt himself in the bathtub trying to scrub away the Eldritch’s touch. Alastor had accepted that the spider was merely emotional from having to deal with the Overlord, but now that he thought about it, Angel was much calmer after the second shoot. _Far too calm._

_“ **What did he do?** ”_

“He…touched him, where no one is allowed to. Angel left the shoot early because of it.” Alastor closed his eyes, unable to help the sound of Mimzy’s voice in his ear. _He’ll look elsewhere for what you won’t give… “_ I understand why he didn’t tell me, but he should have told you. Seviathan also is purposefully using the shoots to traumatize him, forcing him to relive their old relationship. That’s-”

“ ** _Relationship?!_** ”

“Never official, but Angel _did_ used to sneak out to Sev back when he thought Sev would take his contract from me.” Valentino frowned as he spoke, glancing toward the bar. “Angel never told you any of this?”

“ ** _No. He didn’t._** ” Alastor glared toward the bar again, slowly sliding from the seat as he locked eyes with the spider. “ ** _I’ll be right back._** ”

“Wait Alastor, that’s not what’s important-” A glance from Alastor stopped the moth’s words and the prince barely registered the worried look on Valentino’s face as he began toward the bar.

“ ** _We’ll see._** ”


	23. My Lies

Angel was filled with both fear and confusion as Alastor stalked over to him, the radio demon’s rage filling every part of his body. Vox and Velvet looked to the spider concerned, unable to comprehend the amount of rage pouring from Alastor as he calmly walked toward them. Angel couldn’t help his shaking as he held himself up with the counter, doing his best to meet Alastor’s angry eyes. The prince stopped just out of reaching distance, his red orbs locked on Angel’s.

“Now, _Anthony._ ” Angel glanced back behind the bar as he heard Alastor’s voice come from the speaker, the music skipping as the Overlord spoke. The other speakers continued blaring their loud music, meaning that for now, Alastor was only using this one to speak. “I’ve heard some _very_ interesting things from Valentino.”

“Al-”

“ _About you and Seviathan._ ” Angel’s heart stopped as the words left the speaker, Alastor still glaring at him with those red eyes. The spider’s fear grew as he saw Alastor flex his fingers, and he _knew_ that the radio demon was fighting his flames. Lucifer had been _way_ off the mark when he gave Alastor the title of Evil: Alastor was much closer to his namesake, a force of anger and revenge. “ _Care to elaborate?_ ”

“I-I was gonna tell you Smiles, it’s just-”

“ _When, **mon petite araignée**_ **?** _Before or **After** you ran back to him?_” Angel’s heart broke as he looked at Alastor, but he knew that the overwhelming rage filling the radio demon kept him from feeling his emotions. Whatever Valentino had told him, it clearly wasn’t the _whole_ truth and Alastor was making assumptions. _Very untrue assumptions._

 _“_ Al, I would never go back to Sev. He…he tortured me, tried to kill me. Why would I go back to that? _”_

_“So did Valentino, Anthony and you willingly continue to work for him.”_

_“And I ain’t trying to sleep with him or date him, Alastor. It’s just work, just a paycheck doing the only thing I’m good at.”_ Angel spat back, fighting to keep Alastor’s anger from overwhelming him. He heard as Vox and Velvet leaned away from him, hoping to have an easy escape if Alastor got physical or lost his grip on his barely controlled rage.

“But _you are with Seviathan dear Anthony._ ” Alastor shot back, and Angel felt his heartache rise again at Alastor’s accusations. _Where was Alastor getting this idea from?_ Angel growled softly: Mimzy. With all her words and lies about Angel, Valentino’s vague truths were all Alastor needed to come to this conclusion. “ _You do seem **very** interested in finishing the shoots._”

“Because I wanna be done with the bastard. I don’t ever want to have to deal with him again.” Angel muttered, shaking as he fought to keep standing. “You’re not home, you won’t take me with you and I…I’m too weak to deal with him. I have to finish them, so that we can be together without worrying about him. I only want you Alastor, no one else.”

 _“ **Then why did you lie to me, ANGEL DUST?!** ” _Alastor’s voice now blared from every speaker in the bar and Angel now dropped to the floor, unable to keep standing with the rage that was filling him. He held himself tightly, wishing, _praying_ that he could stop feeling Alastor’s rage. Angel knew that nothing he said would reach Alastor, that no matter what he said, the prince was no longer listening. But he had to _try:_ he wouldn’t, couldn’t sit in silence. “ ** _Just a touch, just a customer?_**”

“I _did_ run to him in the past, Al but I was stupid when I thought Sev would save me. I don’t believe that anymore. I don’t _need_ saving anymore.” Angel admitted, pulling his legs in more as Alastor’s rage washed over him again. “That was then, in the past Alastor. I would ne-”

“ ** _Not when he touched what belonged to me._**” Angel looked up sharply as Alastor moved closer to him and all the other demons moved away from him, including Vox and Velvet. Angel was left alone as Alastor towered over him, the prince still fighting to maintain his form, to keep his anger under control.

“Val..told you…?”

“ ** _How Seviathan broke the rules on the first shoot, Angel._** ” Alastor growled, flexing his fingers again as he fought the flames. “ ** _And you chose to do the second. AFTER HE TOUCHED YOU. After he tasted what is MINE._**”

“I…I was ashamed, okay?!” Angel finally yelled back, Alastor’s anger beginning to affect him. He hugged himself tighter as he looked away, refusing to meet those burning red eyes. “He outsmarted me, and touched me in the only place I was saving for you. I was _disgusted with myself, I was ashamed. I **hated**_ that he had gotten the better of me. I didn’t want you to know that I was so weak.

“So yes, I lied about why I hurt myself, but I _don’t want_ Seviathan, I _want you!_ ” Angel yelled, looking up to meet those glowing eyes. “ _You_ are all I’ve wanted, even before I knew we were SoulBound!”

“ ** _Lies._** ” Angel felt the crack in his heart deepen as Alastor said that word and all of his anger faded, replaced by an emptiness he couldn’t describe. He could no longer feel Alastor’s anger, the consuming rage that had filled him only seconds before. All Angel felt…was empty as Alastor continued to glare at him. “ ** _Just like her._** ”

“ _I’m not her._ ” Angel groaned, dropping his head as the emptiness consumed him and he fought to keep from collapsing onto the floor. Why…why did he feel nothing? Not Alastor, not himself: where….where did it all go? “ _I love you Alastor._ ”

“ ** _Do you Anthony?_** ” Alastor challenged, and Angel merely whimpered, unable to cry as the emptiness robbed him of his tears. _Of Everything._ “ ** _You’re not the first to claim so._** ”

“ _I do. I’m not her Al, you’ve **felt** it._” Angel offered, falling to his elbows as the feeling seemed to be crushing him, forcing him to collapse under its weight. “ _You know I do._ ”

Silence filled the bar as Alastor stood over the spider and Angel whimpered, his body shaking as he fought to keep from laying on the floor. All of this…because he had waited too long to say anything, because he didn’t want to seem too weak. After his talk with Charlie, Angel had already decided to come clean to Alastor after the date, but it seemed Val had stolen yet another thing from the spider. And this time, it really was all Angel’s fault.

Angel was surprised when he felt the Shadow grab him, and he quickly glanced up as he was pulled down into the darkness. Alastor was still glaring at him, but the look had softened somewhat, and Angel wished he could have felt hope at that moment. Alastor was still angry, still distrustful, but he couldn’t deny what Angel had said: he _had_ felt Angel’s love. He couldn’t deny that what Angel felt for him was real.

Angel bounced as he was roughly thrown onto the couch in the Tower, barely missing Fat Nuggets from where he slept. The pig squealed as he ran away, and Angel looked up to stare at the Shadow’s burning red eyes.

“ _You will stay here. No Studios, No Seviathan, until I come home._ ” Angel sat up, still fighting the desire to collapse to the floor. The Shadow spoke with Alastor’s voice and the spider had no doubt that the prince had no intention of returning to the tower, despite still having free time. “ _I’ll…decide what to do with you then. Once I’ve calmed down._ ”

“When…are you coming home next?”

“ _I Don’t Know._ ” Angel flinched with those words, the pressure from the emptiness increasing with Alastor’s harsh response. “ _But you are mine, Angel Dust. I **will not** let you leave.”_

“ _I’m yours, Alastor. I don’t want to lea-._ ”

“ ** _Silence._** _I don’t want to hear your voice right now._ ” Alastor commanded and Angel nodded, closing his eyes as he wished tears would flow. He wanted to cry, _needed_ to cry, but the empty void was robbing him of everything. “ _I tried to be nicer, to give you more freedom than I ever gave her, and still you **lied.**_

“ _I will not give you up Angel, not to anyone._ ” All Angel could do was nod, looking back down as the Shadow disappeared into the floor, leaving him alone in the suffocating silence and emptiness of the Radio Tower. Once the Shadow had left, Angel finally allowed himself to collapse, clutching the red necklace tightly.

“ _Time…he just needs time._ ” Angel told himself, barely reacting as Fat Nuggets rejoined him on the couch. “Once…once he calms down, he’ll…we’ll be okay and I’ll finish telling him everything.”

Fat nuggets nuzzled his owner’s hand and Angel lifted his arms, allowing his son to snuggle closer to him as the pig attempted to comfort him. Angel wanted to squeeze Fat Nuggets, but he felt nothing, unable to fight the emptiness that consumed him. All Angel could do was speak the words in his heart, the words he couldn’t feel, but believed. _He had to believe them._

“ _We’ll be okay._ ”


	24. What Can I Say?

Alastor was still angry days later, even after he returned to the palace. He attacked his studies with vigor, refused Lilith at every turn and openly attacked Mimzy, not giving her the chance to rile him up. Lucifer barely even punished him for his new anger, as if he knew why and delighted in the radio demon’s frustration.

“ _Bastard knows why._ ” Alastor cursed as he slammed the door to his room, once again avoiding the queen as she tried to get him to talk to her. “ _All his fault…all **her** fault._”

Alastor collapsed into his chair, trying to take a deep breath to swallow his rage. It wasn’t the first time he had tried to calm down and he had no doubt that it would fail just as it always had. Controlling his anger was not his strong suit, and it was always enough to turn the normally classy radio demon into a spoiled child. But Alastor couldn’t help it: Angel…Angel was supposed to be different.

Angel…had lied to him. The spider didn’t even try to deny it, tried to _defend_ his lies. Alastor didn’t care about Angel being weak, didn’t care about Angel’s shame. All he wanted was the _truth: lies_ protected nothing. They can only hurt, betray… _anger_ and Alastor closed his eyes as he felt his anger rising again at his own hypocrisy. Alastor had no problem skirting around the truth if it served him: he had even lied to Angel when this all began, but the bond with Angel had forced him to be more honest and Alastor had felt…relieved. Relieved that lying was no longer necessary, that the truth was all he could offer to the spider. So _why?! Why had Angel felt the need to lie?!_

“Lies…” Alastor breathed, surprised as he heard the Hellphone on his desk vibrate. The phone sat on his desk all the time, but Alastor rarely heard the device make noise. His notifications were silent, except for messages sent to him by another Overlord. Which meant either Val or Rosie was reaching out to him and the prince scowled as he considered checking. If it were Valentino, he would gladly rip the moth apart for his role in Alastor’s anger, but if it were Rosie…then he needed to check it. “ _Fuck._ ”

He angrily flipped over the phone, seeing that the message was indeed from Rosie, with ominous words hovering under her name.

“You need to see this.” Alastor growled as he unlocked the device for the first time, annoyed by the brightness of the phone. He quickly lowered it, taking a moment to try and remember everything Rosie had shown him. Messages, her name, ah, there it was, her newest message. Underneath was a link to Insta, it seemed and Alastor clicked it, frowning as the device loaded whatever she had sent him.

The first thing Alastor noticed was that the handle belong to Velvet and he frowned when he noticed the date the video had been posted. The day of the double-date, and Alastor’s eyes grew wide as the video began to play.

“ ** _Then why did you lie to me, An-_** ” Alastor quickly muted the video, not wanting to hear his own voice. Velvet had only recorded Angel, failing to capture more than Alastor’s shoes, but…Angel’s face. As Alastor watched the muted recording of his fight with Angel, he finally noticed the pain, the regret, the heartache in the spider’s expression. Then…nothing. All of the subtle hints of Angel’s emotions faded and was replaced with an emptiness Alastor knew too well. The radio demon grabbed his brooch, the anger fading as a terrifying thought replaced it: what had he done to their bond?

“No…not broken, can’t be broken. I…didn’t feel it break.” Alastor reasoned, clutching the brooch tighter as he scrolled beneath the video. ‘Guess even the prince’s date isn’t immune to his anger.’ Was Velvet’s tagline and Alastor continued scrolling thought the comments. The reactions seemed to be mixed, with some saying he was ‘overreacting’ to others saying ‘sluts deserve worse.’ Alastor felt his anger return as he read the comments, until he came across Angel’s.

“Stop it. Take this down Velvet.” Alastor read aloud, tapping the comment to open the comment thread as he continued reading. It was only a few hours old, meaning that the spider had only discovered it today.

_Why? It’s not like the whole bar didn’t see it._

_Yea, anyone there saw what a Bastard the new prince is._

_What? Don’t like getting shamed, slut? Val used to do worse to ya on camera._

_Maybe next time he should let everyone else have a go, since he isn’t using you._

_Probably better off without him anyway Angel._

Alastor’s emotions flitted between regret and rage as he kept reading, hoping to see another reply from the spider. He _had_ overreacted: he should have remained calm, talked about it with Angel in private, even if the outcome would have been the same. He had only agreed to the date to quell rumors, instead, he had given them new life. At last, Alastor found what he was looking for, and he was forced to cover his mouth as he read Angel’s eventual reply.

_I was wrong for lyin’, ‘gardless of my reasons. Alastor had every right to be angry with me. But he doesn’t need or deserve this. He’s going through more than I or any of you could understand, so we don’t get the right to judge him or his reactions. You try facing your past mistakes, regretting the choice you made to protect someone you love, and learning that person lied to you, then you can judge Al. He made a tough decision to protect me, is still facing the fallout of that decision, and I repayed that by lyin’ to ‘im. Maybe I didn’t deserve this, but neither does he. Take it down Velvet. Please._

Alastor stared at the message for a long time. He had expected Angel to be angry, or to be defensive, to want the video gone because of how bad it made the spider look but this…he had not expected acceptance. Angel was not worried about his own image, but Alastor’s, even though he knew the likelihood of the prince ever knowing about the video was slim. If not for Rosie…Alastor shook his head again as it dawned on him. That’s why Rosie had sent it to him: to see Angel’s comment, to hopefully quell his rage about what happened.

“Angel.” Alastor whispered, leaning back as he laid the phone in his lap as he considered the spider’s comment. Angel…despite being weaker, despite _admitting to weakness,_ still was trying to protect Alastor. He was willing to accept the blame, the ridicule, the shame, the torment, if it meant the radio demon didn’t have too. The same desire that had caused him to lie, had also caused the spider to rush to the palace the moment he felt Alastor in pain. He knew he was too weak, but he felt the need to try anyway, to keep Alastor happy, comfortable, to be everything he thought the radio demon wanted. “Why? Why do you feel the need to be strong?”

“Have ya ever wanted anythin’ else?” Alastor quickly sat up as he heard Angel’s voice, but he quickly realized it was simply his mind playing tricks on him. “You hate weakness.”

“You’re allowed to be weak. Let me be strong.” Alastor sighed, leaning forward on the desk as he stared at the comment. He glanced over as he saw Angel’s pink hand on the desk next to him, and it took all of his willpower not to reach for it. But it was merely his tired and weary mind, and if he touched the vision, it would fade. “I’ll protect you.”

“You’re not here to protect me. I have to be strong for you.” Angel continued and Alastor groaned, closing his eyes as the phantom leaned against the desk next to him. “I want to be with ya, but you keep pushin’ me away.”

“I can’t protect you here.” Alastor admitted, hating the way his chest began to ache. “Here…I’m the one who is weak. I can’t kill Lucifer the way I killed my stepfather.”

“Then be weak with me. Be strong with me.” The vison pleaded and Alastor opened his eyes as the phone’s screen flashed. Despite being silent, a notification appeared at the top of the screen. There were no words, but Alastor’s heart broke as he saw the name. _Mon meuf,_ the name Angel had given himself in Alastor’s contacts. The radio demon quickly tapped it, and the screen was flooded with a picture.

‘ _Heading to bed. Still sorry. Miss ya. <3_’ Alastor read the small message under the photo and Angel was smiling softly at the camera, his eyes red from tears. As Alastor scrolled up through the messages, he quickly realized that Angel texted him every morning and night, even though Alastor never responded. He even sent a text every time he went to the Studios, showing off the outfits he was filming in. It seemed that Angel was using it as a sort of diary, a way to vent his feelings safely, as Alastor never responded, but also, a way to talk, in case the prince ever did look. But it was when Alastor came to a soft pink velvet outfit that he paused, tapping to read the paragraph of text underneath it.

_Heya, Smiles. Second shoot today with Sev. Wish I could say I hate the outfit, but…I don’t. I don’t want to. Maybe…someday…if ya ask, I’ll tell ya everythin’ that happened ‘tween me and Sev. I just…I really thought he’d save me, ya know? Ya remind me of him sometimes. Possessive, quick to anger, always promising to be better…I just…I know you ain’t him. I know that. This outfit…I wore this the night the dream died. The night he showed me what he really was. A monster, driven by madness and his own goals._

_I guess what I’m tryin’ to say is, I get it. With Mimzy. I understand why she hates you so much and wants to drag ya down. If I had that kinda of power over Val or Sev before I met you, I might have tried to do the same thing to them. But, I don’t wanna be a prisoner to what happened. I wanna still like this color, and not only associate it with that night. I wanna be able to look at Sev and see him for what he is: a monster sure, but just another customer. One I’ll never let touch me again, but still just another demon. He doesn’t deserve to be more than that._

_Love ya, Al. See ya soon._

Alastor’s fingers hovered over the words, and for a moment, he wished he remembered how to take a screenshot with the darn thing. Those words, how he wished he had read them sooner: Angel was right, but Mimzy wasn’t the only one who was holding on. Even as he tried to convince himself that he was past what happened, Alastor also had never let go, had never been able to see Mimzy as just another demoness. It was because of that, she could still get to him, still anger him, still…make him weak.

Alastor tapped the small box at the bottom, watching as the keyboard came up and he took his time, making sure the letter layout was the same as a typewriter, as Rosie had promised.

“It’s…okay…I…miss…you…as…well…I’m…sorry…An…gel.” Alastor sounded out his message as he typed, his Shadow rising to look over his shoulder as he slowly wrote his message. “I…was…wrong…can…we…talk…tomorrow?”

Alastor showed the message to the creature, and the Shadow nodded as he pressed send. It had been several minutes since Angel’s text goodnight and Alastor had no doubt that the spider had probably fallen asleep, clearly not expecting an answer. The radio demon sighed as he closed his eyes, hating his own volatile anger. It wasn’t until the Shadow tapped his shoulder than he looked back down, and saw three dots pulsating under his message before another from Angel appeared.

_Alastor? You…are using the phone?_

_Rosie sent me the video._

_Oh._ A pause as more dots flashed. _I asked her to take it down._

_I saw, Angel. As well as your comment about…me._

_I didn’t like what they were sayin’._ More Dots. _They don’t know you._

 _Neither do you. But…_ Alastor paused, taking a deep breath as he continued typing. _I don’t know you either, apparently._

 _Apparently._ Was Angel’s curt reply and Alastor felt his heart sink. Rosie was right: he needed the phone, as he didn’t want Lucifer or Lilith to be able to hear this conversation between them.

_Can…can we still fix that?_ Alastor sent and both he and the Shadow watched as they waited for the dots to appear. Angel was taking his time, the dots flashing for longer than they previously had while the spider typed out his response. Alastor couldn’t help the painful dance his heart was doing in his chest and he tried to prepare himself for the worse as he waited for Angel’s reply.

_I…hope so Smiles, but something’s wrong with me. I can’t feel anything, not even my own emotions. I don’t think it’s the bond but…I dunno._ Alastor frowned as he read Angel’s reply.

_Nothing? Not even right now?_

_I KNOW I want to fix things between us, but I don’t FEEL it in my chest. I haven’t been able to feel since…that night._

_Hmm. I’ll check you tomorrow. I’m sorry Angel. For what I did._

_It’s fine Smiles. You’re going through a lot._

_It’s not fine, but I’d…rather have this conversation in person._

_Okay._

_Sleep well, alright?_

_Okay._

_I’ll see you tomorrow._

_Okay Alastor._

I- Alastor paused in his typing before erasing the word. He had only ever said the words to Angel once, and he didn’t want the second time to be through something as impersonal as this. He glanced down confused as he saw more dots appear and he couldn’t help his smile once he saw Angel’s simple message.

_< 3_

 _ <3_ With this, Alastor finally placed down the phone, reaching across his desk. He picked up the rotary phone, waiting patiently while it rang.

“Yes?” Alastor grinned slightly at hearing Lilith’s voice, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

“I apologize for my behavior lately, Lilith, but I have two favors to ask.”

“Yes, Alastor?”

“Can you afford me some time alone with Mimzy tomorrow and I also need to leave the palace afterwards.”

“Alone? Are you sure?” Alastor flinched at the surprise in her voice and he grabbed his chest, closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath. He didn’t want to, but just like Angel, he _had_ to do this.

“Yes, I’m sure. Will you be able to do those things?”

“Of course, Alastor. Consider it done.” Lilith replied sweetly, and Alastor thanked her before hanging up the phone, finally standing from the desk. He walked slowly over to the bed that had been his for the past three months and he collapsed onto it, wrapping himself in the blanket Lilith had given him after he wounded his soul.

Alastor knew it wasn’t something he could fix in one day, but he had to start somewhere. Tomorrow, his _real_ relationship with Angel would begin.


	25. My Determination

Angel sighed as he laid down his phone, wishing he could feel happiness as he closed his eyes. Alastor had finally checked his phone, and from his words, it seemed he had read through some of the messages the spider had sent him. Of course Angel never sent anything _too_ revealing in case Alastor did, but it seemed that things were a little clearer between them now.

“Thanks, Rosie.” Angel whispered, pulling the blanket over him more as he shivered. That demoness was really good at pushing Alastor and she always seemed to know how to nudge him in the right direction. Angel supposed it came from decades of knowing him and he sighed as he stroked the back of his phone.

“Knowing each other, huh?” He repeated, rolling onto his back as he stared at the ceiling, barely making out the lights in the darkness. Their bond had made it seem pointless to actually _try_ to get to know one another: after all, when someone can feel your every emotion and is privy to your thoughts, what is there to say? Despite that, Alastor still barely understood Angel, and the spider couldn’t say he knew or accepted the radio demon either. Husk was right, it seemed and Angel frowned as he thought of the cat.

“Go to sleep Anthony.” Angel told himself and he closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing as he tried to fall asleep. He knew only nightmares and emptiness awaited him, but he had to sleep. He needed to be rested for when Alastor came, regardless of how poor that rest would be. When the spider reopened his eyes and found himself still in the Tower, he knew he was dreaming and he sighed, fingering the hole in his chest. His mind was manifesting the emptiness he felt, the room devoid of its usual furniture and décor, only Angel and the bed existing.

“Fuck, wish this would pass.” Angel groaned, placing his hand over his hollow chest. He hadn’t told Alastor, but since the empty feeling began, Angel could no longer feel his heart and only knew of its beating from the faint vibrations he could detect in his chest. He didn’t want to scare the prince, and wanted to wait until they were together so they could figure it out. “Together…”

“You are alone, Angel, as you should be.” The spider quickly sat up as he heard Seviathan’s voice, glancing around the dark room for any sign of the Eldritch. The shadows remained still however, and Angel slowly laid back down, his eyes still darting around. He wasn’t surprised to be dreaming of the Overlord, but his voice…it sounded like more than just a dream voice. Seviathan’s voice had sounded as if the Eldritch was _there_ and Angel lay tense, ready to move at the slightest sound.

“You’re just another Overlord.” The spider called out, taking a deep breath as he spoke. The emptiness swallowed his fear and Angel found it easier to speak the words he desperately wanted to believe. “I don’t care if Fredrick is grooming you, you ain’t nothing compared to ya old man. You’re just a brat, mad you can’t get your way.”

“You’ll regret those words, _Angel._ ” The spider barely flinched as Seviathan appeared on top of him, the Eldritch’s tentacles grabbing him and wriggling in the darkness of the room. Angel met Seviathan’s glare with a calm expression, unable to feel the fear he was so used too. “ _I will replace Alastor._ ”

“You would need a few more millennia to be anywhere close to his level Sev.” Angel shrugged, glancing away as the Eldritch tightened his grip. The spider knew that Seviathan wanted nothing more than to rip him apart and he was less than surprised when his arm was torn off. If he hadn’t realized he was dreaming, Angel would have been screaming from the pain, but the emptiness absorbed the pain his mind would have conjured and Angel barely flinched as Seviathan tossed the limb away. “Your dad is a million times stronger than you and even he couldn’t defeat Lucifer. What chance do _you think_ you have against children that bare even a fraction of that power?

“Face it, Sev. The only reason you want me is so that you can feel powerful.” Angel sneered, feeling something bubble in the emptiness, too far down for him to recognize what it was. Seviathan scowled on top of him, leaning up to straddle the spider as he glared down at Angel, managing a toothy grin.

“That spell really does it for you, doesn’t it Angel? Rob you of all those pesky emotions that make me hard to deal with?” Angel’s eyes widened as Seviathan spoke and the Overlord’s smile grew as he watched. “Why do you think I wanted to remind you of me? I knew you would lie to Alastor, that you would be too ashamed to tell him the truth. That he would trigger the spell.

“Ah, but the spell was only the first step, and we have so much left to do.” Angel wished he could glare and feel angry as he was slid out of the bed, lifted into the air by Seviathan’s slimy tentacles, the bed covered in the fishy substance. The Eldritch chuckled as he stroked Angel’s fur, smearing the slime into the spider. “Alastor may be powerful, but with your bond, I can easily strip him of that power.”

“Hope you have a better idea than making me feel nothing, cause he can’t feel me from here anyway.”

“No, he may not be able to feel your emotions, but I do remember that _pain_ and _pleasure_ travel just fine across distances.” The bubbling sensation in the emptiness seemed to rise more and Angel winced slightly as Seviathan gripped him tighter. Angel had no control over whatever Seviathan’s spell was doing to him, and he wasn’t sure if the bubbling was due to the spell or…something else. “Something else travels just fine, but you’re too weak to have ever noticed and Alastor is too dense. I’m sure Lucifer intends to teach him, but obviously, he hasn’t yet.”

“Something…else?”

“You call it _Soulbound,_ but there’s another word for the bond you have now, one that’s far older than you or Alastor. A name that truly describes what binds you together.” Seviathan laughed, leaning away as he stroked Angel’s chest fluff. “It’ll be nice once you’re mine again, maybe you’ll learn to enjoy the pain.”

“What the word, _Seviathan?_ ” Angel demanded, the bubbling rising more as his thoughts raced. What other word could describe their bond? Their souls were connected, that was what allowed them to feel one another and share in the other’s joy and pain. Demons without souls couldn’t experience that kind of connection…unless…unless…it wasn’t their _souls_ that were bound.

“Patience Angel. I wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise.” Seviathan cooed, chuckling as he watched Angel’s blank face attempting to glare. “My father will be picking you up in the morning, since I don’t doubt Alastor has wards to recognize me around the tower. Can’t have the Prince showing up too early.”

“I won’t let you do anything to Alastor.” Angel warned, able to feel the tiniest flare of anger through the emptiness. “He’s been through too much already.”

“Oh I’m sure he has, and it will be delightful to see his face when he realizes it was all for nothing and he won’t even be able to kill me for it.” Seviathan laughed, his face slowly fading as he released Angel from the dream. Angel fought to hold on, wanting the Eldritch to explain what he meant as he squirmed in the tentacles.

Angel jolted awake from the dream, sweat drenching the sheets as he sat up, clutching his heart necklace tightly. Every part of the spider wanted to call Alastor, hurt himself, anything that might get the prince’s attention…but as soon as each thought crossed his mind, it faded. The spider pounded the bed with his lower hands, wishing he could feel as angry as his thoughts as he held his face. No doubt this was also part of Seviathan’s spell, keeping him from warning Alastor from what was going to happen.

“ _Bastard.”_ Angel cursed, holding his empty chest. Not feeling his emotions was really starting to mess with the spider, but there was a difference between _losing_ his emotions and _losing_ his ability to feel them. It was clear Angel wasn’t emotionless, at least not yet, and Angel could use this, if he could figure out the bubbling. Whatever it was, he was fairly certain it wasn’t apart of the spell, or Seviathan would have mentioned it in his gloating. All Angel had to do was outsmart the Eldritch, and without being a slave to his fear, maybe, maybe he could do it.

Angel absently grabbed his arm, the same Seviathan had torn off in the dream and he squeezed it tightly. If their bond had changed to something else, what was the third thing that was shared between them? It couldn’t be power: Angel was fairly certain he would have noticed if he was more powerful than normal. What was something Angel was too weak for, and Alastor was too dense to notice? There wasn’t much Alastor _didn’t_ notice, unless it was something he chose to ignore or thought he had an explanation for.

“Fuck.” Angel cursed, cradling his head as he tried to think. “I don’t fuckin’ know. But I have to protect Alastor. I can’t lose to Sev again.”

Angel took a deep breath as he tried to sort out his thoughts, the emptiness in his chest allowing him to regain his composure quickly. He only needed to remain calm: no doubt Seviathan would tell him eventually as the Eldritch loved revealing his hand too early. Even visiting Angel in a dream was a step too far and gave the spider more knowledge than the Overlord realized. Seviathan was still assuming Angel was as naïve as he used to be, but this time, Angel would not lay down and be Seviathan’s victim.

“Watch out, Seviathan.” Angel promised as he shifted to the dryer side of the bed, once again snuggling under the blanket. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the small bubbles he could feel in the emptiness, willing for them to grow. “I _won’t_ let you hurt Alastor.”


	26. Time to End, To Begin Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter means a lot to me.   
> I hope you all can appreciate it too.  
> When you are the abuser, and you don't see what you're doing as abuse,   
> it's hard to let go and forgive yourself once you do.
> 
> Finding the strength to apologize,   
> to try and be better for someone else,  
> someone who loves and accepts you,  
> it's hard to do.
> 
> There's strength in facing your past.  
> You don't have to stay the bad guy.  
> Maybe never the best, maybe never perfect,  
> but better.
> 
> Enjoy.

Alastor took a deep breath as he stood outside the green door, aware of the Queen as she hovered over his shoulder. He could hear Mimzy singing inside, practicing her solo for the new show, and he couldn’t help his hesitation. He flinched as Lilith gingerly touched his shoulder, and Alastor looked down to the handle.

“You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready, Alastor.” Lilith whispered and the prince sighed, adjusting his new cuffs. Upon waking, he was surprised to find a new outfit delivered to his room, with a simple note that read, “No longer an Overlord, but a Prince.” He assumed it was from Lucifer and a quiet demand for Alastor to now dress in a way the king saw fit. His red jacket now had a gold snake circling around it, chasing the apple chain that lay under his bowtie and he frowned as he pulled on the gold leafed collar. All a reminder of whose son he was, and the role he had agreed to take.

“If I am to face Angel, I must.” Alastor finally replied, shoving Lilith’s hand from his shoulder. “I can no longer be her abuser. Her victim.”

“Alastor-”

“I’ll be done soon, Lilith.” Alastor cut off the queen, pushing the doors open as he stepped into the room. The choir room was completely empty, with Mimzy standing on the small stage as she practiced her lines.

“ _Till Stars shine through_

_I Promise You_

_I’ll be yours._ ” Alastor felt his heart twisting in knots as she paused, opening her eyes as the door closed behind the prince. Her serene expression quickly turned to anger and Alastor took a deep breath as he walked down the steps, each footfall thundering in the silence. “And to what do I owe your presence, _your majesty?_ ”

“I only wish to talk Mimzy.” Alastor managed, closing his eyes as he reached the bottom, before reopening them to look down at his ex-wife. For Angel: he would do this for a future with Angel and he offered his hand to the demoness, giving her a soft smile. “It’s time we ended this dance, as we should have years ago.”

“Oh? I thought you loved dancing with me.” Mimzy looked at his hand warily before taking it and Alastor pulled her close, resting his free hand on her shoulder. Quietly, Blue Danube began on the piano and they slowly began to turn, neither of them thinking much about the movements. After all, it was a waltz they had done many times, an adventure they had experienced together. “Finally come to kill me?”

“No, Mimzy. I have no more of a desire to kill you now than I did then.” Alastor sighed, glancing to his Shadow where the creature played for them. It was focusing on the song and Alastor glanced down sadly at the demoness in his arms. It was almost strange to him; he still felt so angry, hated her for the way she poked him, but also…sorry for her. “I came to apologize, actually apologize.”

“An apology? _From you?_ ” The demoness scoffed and Alastor forced himself to take a deep breath as he spun her, walking after her on the stage. She still looked beautiful as her dress twirled and when he brought her back into his arms, they were alive, Mimzy being much closer to his height as they twirled, her blond bob bouncing around her perfect face.

“Yes Mimzy, one that is long overdue. I preferred to forget you, to hate you, than to face what I had done.” Alastor continued, his eyes locked on her beautiful blue eyes as she glared at him. So full of anger, of malice, of hurt for the pain he caused her. “You are right; I did trap you. I forced you to stay with me, to take the role my mother had in my life, without consideration if it was a role you wanted.”

“At one point, I thought I did.” Mimzy admitted, her expression still distrustful as she spoke and Alastor tossed his dark brown hair, his smile sad. “I was blind though. Too young to know what I wanted.”

“And I took advantage of that. Used it to lock you in my cage.” Alastor spun his wife again and they were back in Hell, the prince forced to look into those black and pink eyes. “I…never saw anything wrong with what I did. I gave you everything you asked, but still you wanted more.”

“You wouldn’t, couldn’t give me what I needed.”

“I loved you.”

“Not the love I craved.”

“I could never give you that.”

“You couldn’t.” Mimzy growled and Alastor lifted his wife, once again teleporting back into his memories of this dance. Beautiful, wonderful Mimzy, not smiling as he remembered, not faking her joy, but scowling, glaring at the radio demon with all of her hatred for him. All of her pain for what he had done. “I didn’t want your cage. I wanted to be free.”

“And I’m sorry Mimzy, for trapping you.” Alastor breathed, finally setting the demoness down, closing his eyes as his heart ached. “I’m sorry for my threats, my words, everything I did to you while we were alive. I’m sorry for never realizing that I was killing you.”

“You…” Mimzy seemed lost for words and Alastor reopened his eyes as he took a step back from the demoness, tears shining in his eyes.

“You are right. I don’t love as people expect. I am possessive, selfish, needy.” Alastor chuckled, the sound ugly from the emotion in his chest. “I trap, I cage, and I am not as physical or sexual as one would expect, but this heart does love.

“Angel…he may not know me as well as you or Husk, but he accepts my love despite that. He was caged once by others, but he chose my cage willingly.” Alastor breathed, feeling a weight lift from him. Angel was right: there was strength in facing your trauma, your mistakes, and Alastor was able to smile brightly at Mimzy as he looked back down to her. “I won’t make the same mistake I made with you. I want to know him, to understand him, for him to _want_ to stay with me.”

“Would you let him go if he changed his mind?” Mimzy challenged and Alastor paused, looking away from her. “If he decided he no longer wanted your cage?”

“No. I can’t lose him too.”

“Then nothing’s-”

“But I would _try,_ to adjust for him.” Alastor continued, still smiling as he met her surprised eyes. “I can’t set him free, but I would do whatever it took to make him want to stay. To make him happy with me.”

“You tried that with me.” Mimzy shot back but Alastor shook his head.

“I never understood that you didn’t want to stay, Mimzy. I only tried to make you happy. Perhaps, if I had known…” Alastor started but forced himself to stop. “But that no longer matters. I _didn’t know, didn’t want to know,_ and now it is too late.

“I can’t make you forgive me. I’m not asking for it either.” Alastor stepped away from the songstress, taking another deep breath, enjoying the lighter feeling in his chest. It would take more time for him to fully move past Mimzy in a healthy way, but this…this was a good start. “But I need to move past you Mimzy, so that I can be happy with Angel. And, maybe one day, I can enjoy listening to your beautiful voice again.”

Mimzy remained silent, and Alastor turned back to climb the stairs out of the room. One door closed and now he needed to make sure he could still open the second. He wouldn’t give up the spider but…he didn’t want Angel to be as miserable as Mimzy had been. He didn’t want to just be Angel’s new Valentino.

“Just kill me.” Alastor paused as he heard Mimzy’s soft voice and he turned to see the songstress on her knees, holding herself as she cried. “I don’t understand why you won’t kill me. You said you would.”

“I might have when we were alive. But…you’re not mine anymore Mimzy. I have no reason to kill you.” Alastor shrugged, turning to face the demoness as he stood on the steps.

“I…can’t forgive you Alastor.”

“That’s fine Mimzy. I didn’t want it anyway. This was more for me than you.” The radio demon admitted, somewhat enjoying seeing Mimzy’s broken form on the floor. She had built her entire existence on being Alastor’s victim, waiting for him to finally end her life and she seemed so broken, so confused that he just…wouldn’t. “Even if you can’t forgive, perhaps you can at least move on.”

“I-” The demoness started but her words were interrupted by a third voice, and Alastor’s smile faded as he looked to the side door.

“Guess that spider really has done things to ya, Al.” Alastor’s eyes narrowed as the side door was pushed open and in walked a creature he had once called a friend. A being he sent to the Pit, and yet, was somehow standing in front on him.

“ _Husk._ ”


	27. Too Many Voices

Alastor glared as he watched the cat enter the choir room, fluffing his wings as he walked up to the stage where Mimzy sat on the ground. The cat’s body was riddled with scars, remnants of the repeat torture he had endured while in the Pit.

“You’re starting to look at bit like me Husker.” Alastor chuckled, his glare growing as he met the eyes of his old friend. “Although I do have to question how you escaped your endless torment.”

“Who do you think told Lucifer to bring Mimzy here?” Husk rebuffed and Alastor felt his anger start to grow. Alastor always thought it was strange that Mimzy was suddenly staying in the Pentagram after her visit was supposed to be a quick trip and how it perfectly coincided with him being forced to stay at the palace. It made since now, oh how it was so obvious where Lucifer had gotten the idea of using Mimzy from. Why had he _ever_ considered the cat a friend? “Lucifer set me free, to be a part of the game. If he wins, I get to stay on this plane, if he loses, I go back to the Pit.”

“So once again, you show where your allegiance _truly_ lies.” Alastor growled and Husk shrugged, stopping once he stood next to Mimzy. The songstress remained on the floor, still sobbing to herself as the men spoke. “Still the same _jealous_ cat.”

“Still hate that spider.” Husk affirmed, crossing his arms as he met Alastor’s face defiantly. “I thought being around Mimzy would make you see Angel was no different from her. That he will eventually leave you too.”

“Well, _it would appear you thought wrong._ ” Alastor spat, unable to help his growing anger as he climbed back down toward the pair. He was less than surprised that Lucifer had turned to Husk to try and manipulate the prince: after all, it was a smart move on the King’s part. Husk had known Alastor for a long time and besides Rosie, who never would have helped Lucifer, knew about Alastor’s pain with Mimzy. No, Alastor was angry than he had ever felt _regret_ for what he had done to Husk. Every time Alastor thought he could forgive Husk, the cat would only _betray him_ again. “I’m quite done with your constant betrayals, Husker.”

“I ain’t yours anymore, Al. Can’t betray ya when you disowned me.” Husk shrugged, still looking at Alastor defiantly as the prince stopped in front of him. “My deal’s with Lucifer now.”

“And one you’ve _lost,_ yet again.” Alastor chuckled, stroking the air next to Husk’s face as he glared. “You still fail to understand how much I _want Anthony._ ”

“What makes him so special?” Husk finally asked, a glimpse of sadness cracking through his tough exterior. Alastor wanted to feel sorry, he truly did, but Husk made it so difficult to empathize with the cat’s emotions, especially if Husk thought allying with Lucifer was the better choice. “Why him?”

“I told you Husk, I enjoy his company. I may not find him aesthetically pleasing, but his strange form is starting to grow on me. After all, it houses that beautiful soul and mind I enjoy.” Alastor smiled, pulling away from Husk again as the cat growled. “He does not know me, but he wants to learn, and he has yet to run from me.”

“He won’t ever-”

“Did you know, dear Husker, that Angel watched me while I cooked and ate my prey?” Alastor interrupted, loving the look of shock on both the cat’s and Mimzy’s face as they stared at him. Their faces held their disbelief and the radio demon’s heart swelled with more pride as he remembered that night so long ago. “He didn’t run, didn’t throw up, despite being disgusted. Why, he even tried a bite and complimented my cooking!”

“You’re lying.” Mimzy whispered and Alastor turned his angry smile to her, causing the demoness to flinch.

“I have no need to lie, Mimzy. I was surprised and impressed, by his honesty and determination.” Alastor chuckled, returning his eyes to Husk. “You’re right, Angel does not know me, not as well as either of you, but he accepts me more than both of you combined.”

“I-”

“No Husk, you _feared me_ , just as much as Mimzy did. Perhaps you enjoyed your cage more than she did, but you _never_ accepted me.” Alastor spat, not allowing Husk the chance to speak. “Perhaps it was telling you about Mimzy that clouded your heart and maybe that _is_ my fault. But you never told me how you felt, never asked more of me.

“Angel…didn’t know _why_ I withdrew from him, but he _pursued me nonetheless._ Even when I pushed him away, hurt him, angered him, lied to him, he stayed. He still _wanted me._ ” Alastor continued, spitting his words into the cat’s face as Husk’s ears dropped. “He didn’t just hide behind an excuse and seethe for what he couldn’t have.”

“I just didn’t want him to hurt you.” Husk whispered, and Alastor felt his anger flare as fire sprung from his fingertips. “I didn’t want to _watch_ him hurt you.”

“ _He_ never hurt me Husk. _You_ did.” Alastor growled, finally turning away from the pair to climb the stairs. He had already wasted too much time with the cat and he still needed Lilith to cover for him while he talked with Angel. No doubt Lucifer was aware that he was losing the game to his wife and Alastor needed to leave before the King could find a reason to force him to stay.

“Al..Luc…Lucifer doesn’t care about your bond.” Alastor paused again as Husk spoke and he closed his eyes.

“Why should I belie-”

“He’s telling the truth, Alastor.” At Mimzy’s voice, Alastor turned around, the songstress now standing next to the cat. Both were refusing to look at the prince, holding themselves as he looked down at them. “Lucifer doesn’t care about breaking your bond. He can’t, even if he wanted too.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and that spider are more than Soulbound Al.” Husk added, sighing heavily as he spoke. “Lucifbe's bet with Lilith was never to break your bond, but to break _Angel._ ”

“Explain!” Alastor demanded, unsurprised as the door behind him opened and the queen walked in, a devilish smile on her face as she stood above him. Alastor scowled at Lilith, his anger starting to swell. “What was the bet, Lilith?”

“You think Seviathan knowing about your absence was an accident? How did he manage to find out before all the other Overlords?” Mimzy continued, regaining Alastor’s attention. “Lucifer told him, knowing that the Eldritch and his father wouldn’t pass up a chance to remove you as the Heir.”

“You and your dear Angel are _Lien d'esprit,_ Alastor.” Lilith chuckled, walking down the steps to stand next to the prince. “It is no longer only your souls but your minds, your essence. You and he cannot be separated, no matter what Luci does.”

“Then _what was the bet?_ ” Alastor seethed, knocking away the queen’s hand with his flames as he turned to glare at her. Lilith merely giggled, hiding her smile behind her hand.

“Exactly what I said. He would push you apart, I would push you together.”

“ _What do you mean?_ ”

“For Angel to be recognized as your partner, Lucifer requires a sacrifice from him. He won’t just accept him because you do.” Husk sighed, still refusing to look up to Alastor. “Seviathan is going to try and break your mind through the bond, leave you powerless, unfit to be the Heir.”

“If he draws your essence into Angel, there’s no telling what will happen. Angel isn’t a child of Lucifer, his body won’t be able to handle it.” Mimzy continued, looking back up to Lilith. “And without it, you would be left broken, unable to function or use your power.”

“The bet, Little Alastor, is whether or not your Angel would make the sacrifice needed to save _you._ ” Lilith chuckled, her slitted, snake like eyes smiling at him and Alastor’s body was filled with fear as he understood what the trio was telling him. “Would you push him away enough that he would allow you to fall, suffer alongside him, or would he sacrifice himself, anything to save you?”

“ _No._ ” Alastor whispered, rushing past the queen as he began to sink into his Shadow. _The Tower, he needed to reach the Tower!_ Alastor heard as Husk and Mimzy called after him but he was focused, sliding along the floor as he hurried out of the Palace. No, no, Angel was right, Angel had been right all along: there had been too many coincidences, too many unknowns. Alastor should have never made his deal with Lilith, he should have kept Angel by his side, Lucifer be damned…

“Angel!!” Alastor slammed open the door to his tower, his heart pounding as he failed to sense the spider’s presence. No, Angel had said his emotions were missing, that was it. _That had to be it. “Anthony!”_

“Alastor…” But the prince ignored Husk as he appeared at the door, rushing up the stairs to his bedroom. The bed was empty, neatly made as if Angel had merely woken up and left. In fact, nothing about the Tower felt off or disturbed, except for the lack of his spider. It was as if Angel merely walked out the front door, but Alastor would have known if Angel left willingly. He had wards to warn him if Angel tried to leave, or if Seviathan came to take him…

“Alastor.” Alastor remained silent as he stared at the empty bed, his heart breaking. He barely registered as the cat stood behind him, calling his name from the door. _No: no no no no no no no. He had to fix this,_ he… “Alastor.”

“Have you not done _enough_ Husk?” Alastor snapped, quickly standing as he grabbed the cat. It took ever ounce of his control to not burn the cat to a crisp and he dug his claws into Husk, shifting into his wendigo form as his face began to melt away. “ ** _Are you not satisfied with what you’ve done?!_** ”

“Let me fix it, Okay?!” Husk yelled back and Alastor was surprised by the cat’s tears, and the shock forced him to drop the cat. Never, not even when Alastor sent him to the Pit had Husk shed a single tear, not even for Niffty. “I was a shitty partner to Niffy, a worse friend to you. Yeah, I was jealous, but I meant it. I never intended to hurt you, so let me fix it!”

“ ** _It’s too la-_** ”

“ _I know where he is!_ ” With this Alastor glared out of half of his face, leaning back over Husk as he lumbered. “I know you don’t trust me, but I’m doomed to go back to the Pit anyway. At least let me try to make this right.”

“ _Where?_ ”

“Fredrick has him, in his territory on the outskirts.” Husk breathed, trying to look at Al through his tears, but the cat’s fear was obvious as he stared into the prince’s new demonic form. “This…this form doesn’t scare Angel?”

“ _No._ ” Alastor breathed, forcing himself back to normal as the skull fell, revealing his normal face. He continued to glare down at Husk, unable to help his anger. Yes, this was indeed all _Lucifer’s fault,_ not Husk’s, but the radio demon couldn’t help but _hate_ the cat for his role in all of it. “ _Take me there now._ ”

“Let’s go. We might get there in time.” Husk slowly stood, turning away from Alastor as he shook. “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth.”

“ _We’ll see, Husk._ ” Was Alastor’s curt reply and he quickly sunk into his Shadow as the cat flew down the stairs and out the front door. As Alastor followed behind the flying cat, he prayed he could still save Angel from whatever fate Lucifer had planned for him.


	28. Unexpected Help

When Angel opened his eyes, he could barely make out where he was, but it was dark. And smelled heavily of fish.

The spider groaned as he blinked, attempting to look around as his eyes adjusted. The space was mostly empty, only a small chair below the spider and Angel looked up as he realized he was chained to the ceiling. His feet dangled just above the seat below and he guessed that it had been left after the father and son had chained him.

“Sev.” Angel spat, noticing the door off to his left as he continued looking around the room. He didn’t remember Fredrick taking him from the Tower: the last thing Angel remembered was stepping out of the shower and then…nothing. He glanced down at his body and while the clothing was not his own, he supposed it was better than being naked. He was wearing a button up shirt and high-waisted pants, although Sev hadn’t been considerate enough to provide him with shoes.

“Shhh, Helsa, we mustn’t be too loud.” Angel quickly looked back to the door as it opened, and to his surprise, Bethesda Von Eldritch and Helsa walked in, quietly closing the door behind them. Bethesda looked elegant in her form fitting dress and her simple light spell hovered above her hand as she glided over Angel, Helsa limping behind her. “Hello, little spider. It’s been a while.”

“Why are ya two here? Hoping to get things started?” Angel whispered, wishing his voice could be angry. The bubbling had risen higher than the night before, but Angel was still unable to tell what it was or what it represented. He knew it would help him out of this, but he still had no idea how. “Sorry but I don’t intend to be Sev’s stepping stone.”

“Oh no dear. We’re here to _help you._ ” Bethesda corrected and Angel eyed her suspiciously as Helsa limped in front of her mother, revealing that she was still missing an arm, as well as one of her legs being shorter than the other. The Eldritch used her hair to balance as she climbed onto the chair, reaching to try and free the spider.

“Why help me?”

“Lilith asked.” Helsa growled, attempting to focus with her one hand as she maintained her balance. “Lilith promised Mom that it would hurt Father, and I want Alastor to owe me.”

“Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve seen Fredrick’s face twisted with pain and disappointment.” Bethesda sighed, hugging her body tightly as she moaned. “I think the last time was yesterday.”

Angel sighed as he watched the mistress, remembering the only time her had met Bethesda prior. The Mistress Eldritch had caught him trying to sneak to see Seviathan, and rather than trap him or punish him, she had led him to the Overlord’s room. Her excuse had been she wanted Fredrick to find out and punish their son, as she loved “seeing his expression filled with disgust and disappointment.” Angel never quite understood why Bethesda enjoyed going against her husband’s wishes, but it seemed to just be her kink. Obviously, Fredrick didn’t mind, as from what Angel knew he was very doting and loving with his wife, even if he was harsher with his children.

“Mom, help, I can’t get this with one hand.”

“Oh, but didn’t you want to take the credit for freeing him?” Bethesda smiled, her eyes glowing a sickly green as she looked at her daughter. “Don’t you want the Prince to owe you?”

Helsa only growled in response as she grabbed the chain roughly and her hair quickly lifted from the chair, wrapping the white strands around the chains and snapping them loudly. Angel collapsed to the ground painfully, aware that his body was bruised as he bounced on the concrete. Helsa hopped down from the chair, limping her way over to the spider.

“Alright, Helsa, Angel. I have done my part, the rest is up to you two.” Bethesda smiled, leaving her light as she walked back toward the side door. “Do upset that Father of yours and make me happy, Helsa.”

The Eldritch daughter merely rolled her eyes as her mother left and she returned her gaze to Angel, roughly yanking him to his feet as she helped him remove the chains left around his wrist.

“C’mon, no way Sev and Dad didn’t hear that.” She whispered as she yanked off the last chain, quickly pushing Angel toward one of the darker corners, Bethesda's light following them. “We’re gonna have to hide first, wait for a chance to leave.”

“Where are we?” Angel finally asked, ducking behind the wall Helsa indicated, watching as Helsa captured the small light, concealing it in her jacket as she sat with him. Only her glowing eyes in the darkness allowed Angel to see where she was and he gasped as the bubbling rose higher.

“One of Dad’s warehouses, it’s connected to a storefront.” Helsa whispered, leaning out to look at the faraway door. “It’s close to the House, so you’re lucky we were able to get here so fast.”

“Tha-”

“I don’t want your fucking thanks. I still hate Alastor for what he did to me.” Helsa seethed, a toothy grin flashing across her face in the darkness. “Under different circumstances, I’d be _helping_ Sev and Dad with their stupid plan. I just know it’s better to have Alastor owe me than hate me more and Sev’s nothing without Dad guiding him.”

“Still.” Angel shrugged and Helsa rolled her eyes, silencing Angel as the side door finally opened and the spider heard as the father and son walked in.

“So, they did come here.” Seviathan growled, kicking the chains across the floor. “Dammit, why do they have to make everything so difficult?”

“Just how women are, Seviathan, a lesson you still need to learn.” Fredrick responded calmly, and Angel flinched as he heard the chair being pushed across the room. “But it’s nothing to worry over. As long as Angel is in our territory, the ritual will work and you’ll get your way.”

“But what about Helsa-”

“Stop worrying about her, and focus on your task, Seviathan.” Fredrick’s voice was quiet as he spoke, but Angel shivered from the cold feeling in the Eldritch’s words. Seviathan didn’t answer but Angel heard as he moved about the warehouse, retrieving something heavy from another corner. The spider couldn’t help as he glanced out of his hiding spot, watching as Seviathan’s eyes began to glow the same sickly green as his parents and sister’s and the Eldritch set about drawing symbols into the floor beneath where Angel had been held.

“Trace them exactly Seviathan, you won’t have time to fix them or start over if you mess up.”

“Yes, Father.” Angel turned to glance at Helsa as she sighed, leaning against the wall as she waited for her brother and father to leave. The elder Eldritch barely seemed worried about what her brother was doing and Angel swallowed another gasp as the bubbling in the void grew. The sensation was starting to become painful, like air trapped in the spider’s chest and Angel sighed, doing his best to breathe despite the pain.

“Good, Now. Let’s go retrieve the sacrifice, and get the ritual started. No doubt Alastor is on his way.” Fredrick turned back to the door and Angel counted their steps as he listened to them leave. “The timing must be perfect if this is to work.”

“Yes, Father.” The door closed loudly behind the pair, but Helsa waited an extra moment before motioning Angel to stand. The spider groaned as he stood, his body still aching from the pain. He wasn’t sure what Fredrick had done to bruise him that didn’t summon Lucifer, but Angel didn’t doubt that the Eldritch had found a way. Or that Lucifer was just ignoring him.

“C’mon, you heard Dad. As long as you’re in our territory, the ritual will affect you.” Helsa freed the light from her jacket, quickly following it back to the door. Angel followed as quietly as he could, doing his best to swallow back the painful bubbles.

“What is this ritual anyway?”

“From what Mom explained, it’s meant to pull ‘Alastor’s essence into you.’ Whatever that means.” Helsa shrugged, opening the door and after making sure neither Seviathan or Fredrick were around, motioned for Angel to follow her into the hallway. “Apparently, doing so will break both of you and leave Alastor unable to function. That’s why Seviathan needed to steal away your ability to feel emotions, to leave a pit for that essence to fill.”

“What…what if I’m not empty?”

“What the fuck does that mean? Can you still feel your emotions?” Helsa spat, rolling her eyes as Angel shook his head. “Then you’re empty. Doesn’t matter if they still exist, that void is all the spell needs to work.”

“What if I don’t get out of here before they start?”

“I don’t fucking know Angel. I don’t really mess with that old ritual stuff. I prefer to do things my own way.” Helsa shrugged, quietly opening another door, motioning Angel through as she double checked the hallway behind him. “Now stop asking me stupid questions and focusing on getting out of here.”

Angel wanted to frown, but he remained silent as he followed Helsa through the backroom, doing his best to keep up with the Eldritch. Despite her limp and discomfort, Helsa was surprisingly fast with her movements, and Angel could only guess months of being forced to move around this way had allowed her to find ways around her limitations.

‘ _-gel._ ’ The spider quickly glanced up as he felt Alastor’s thought and he quickly placed his hand over his chest, able to feel the slight vibration as the organ began to beat quicker. Angel stopped walking, looking to the floor as the bubbling rose higher inside him.

‘ _Alastor? Alastor!_ ’ Angel screamed his thoughts, but he heard no response to his cries. Helsa turned to reprimand the spider but stopped and Angel looked up to her, Alastor’s voice breezing through his mind again.

‘ _I’m sorry Angel. That it took me so long to reach you. To realize I could._ ’ Angel’s eyes grew wide as he saw Alastor appear behind Helsa, his form barely visible as he stood behind the Eldritch. His smile was sad and his ears twitched as he looked softly at Angel. ‘ _It may be too late as it is, but I wanted you to see me at least one more time. To know that I’m not angry with you Angel. I never was._

‘ _I’m supposed to be strong so you don’t have to be, but I failed you. I made you feel the need to be strong with me, that I wouldn’t accept you without it._ ’ Alastor sighed, looked down to his hands. ‘ _I…am not as strong as you believe me to be. I wish I had allowed you to see that. I hope…that maybe I still can show you._ ’

“Al-Alastor?” Angel stammered, reaching out to the Phantom, and Helsa angrily grabbed his wrist.

“Alastor isn’t fucking here you idiot and if we don’t get you out of here, you’ll never see him again.” The eldritch seethed, starting to drag the spider through the backroom and Angel reached out to the vision with his other hand. But Alastor faded as Helsa dragged him past the mirage and Angel wanted to cry, desperately wanting to hold on the image.

‘ _I’m sorry Angel, but at least I could do this for both of us._ ’ The vision’s face faded as Helsa tossed Angel outside and the spider had to shield his eyes from the bright afternoon, his vision burning as his eyes fought to adjust.

“C’mon, we still have a ways to go.” Helsa growled, pushing her way past Angel as the spider quickly stood, still staring at the door they had exited through. What was that vision: how had Angel heard Alastor’s voice, seen the radio’s form without Alastor being nearby? Was it something to do with Seviathan's ritual or…something else?

‘ _I’m coming Alastor._ ’ Angel breathed, hurrying after the Eldritch as she started down the street, her eyes still darting around for anyone who might try to apprehend them on Sev and Fredrick’s orders. ‘ _I’m coming._ ’


	29. His Essence

Angel glanced around the street as they walked, doing his best to be as watchful as Helsa. The streets were eerily quiet, devoid of all noise or life and Angel couldn’t help the shiver than run his spine. His lack of emotions was starting to make his body feel numb, and the bubbling had risen to a point that it was almost painful to breathe.

“ _Bad Helsa…_ ” The eldritch quickened her step as a voice came out of the shadow’s next to them, and Angel nearly jumped as he saw the slimy demon. It lurched out of its house, like a puppet on a string, the gait unnatural as it started after them. “ _The spider stays…_ ”

“Shit, Dad’s trying to get them to slow us down.” Helsa growled and Angel began to notice that many more demons were coming out of buildings, all covered in the same slime. Some had more slime than others, but they all moved with the same jerking motion, all focused on moving toward Angel and Helsa. The Eldritch swore as she paused, summoning a spear to her hands as a group began to block their path forward and Angel glanced around, noticing the demons were trying to circle them. “Hope you’re up for fighting your way back.”

“Always, toots.” Angel managed, summoning guns to each of his four hands as the horde began to speak in unison.

“ _The Spider stays…Bad Helsa…_ ” The Eldritch smirked as she moved forward, slashing through several of the demons with surprising speed, and Angel was stunned by how well she moved. Despite her injuries, Helsa was still a force to be reckoned with, and Alastor had still managed to shred her body before getting a power boost from Lucifer. What did that say about Alastor’s power _now_? The horde was undeterred, still moving to block them in as Helsa did her best to carve a path forward. “ _Punish…punish…_ ”

“Dad can suck it!” Helsa laughed, and Angel shook himself from his stupor, following behind the Eldritch sister. The spider made short work of any demons who attempted to block his path to Helsa, always making sure to keep her in his site as he followed behind. It was clear they were only trying to slow them down and not hurt them: no doubt Fredrick knew about Alastor’s deal for Angel’s safety and was avoiding trying to summon the king. However, Angel had no qualms killing the demons who stood in his way, taking a moment to stomp on the head of one that attempted to grab his leg.

“Hmm.” Angel hummed, surprised by how…satisfied he felt. Helsa seemed to notice as she paused, their combined efforts having afforded them quite the gap in the crowd.

“Thinking of snagging your boyfriend a snack?”

“I think Alastor deserves higher quality meat, don’t you?” Angel chuckled and the Eldritch laughed again, casually stabbing another demon that came her way.

“At least I know what to bring to the wedding.” Helsa smirked, turning back as the crowd began to close in on them again. “C’mon. We still have quite a ways before we reach the edge of Dad’s territory, and I don’t doubt that ritual is already under way.”

“Let’s-” But Angel’s sentence was dropped off and the spider was dropped to the ground as his body was wracked with pain. It felt like his very soul was on fire, like when Valentino had tried to shove his power into him to break his bond with Alastor. But this…this _was_ Alastor’s power, or some part of it, but Angel’s body burned all the same. It felt as if Alastor had set a Hellfire inside him and the flames rushed to fill the void left by his emotions. Helsa moved back to his side, doing her best to lift him from the concrete.

“Fuck, hold it together Angel. I don’t get credit for half-saving you.” The Overlord growled and Angel did his best to walk, shooting any demons that tried to block Helsa’s path. He could feel his body filling with more pain as it tried to pour into the empty void and Angel nearly collapsed, almost dragging the Eldritch sister with him. “Fuck, c’mon.”

_‘Angel.’_ Angel glanced up as he heard Alastor’s voice again, the mirage appearing in front of them again. This time Alastor looked as if he was in as much pain as the spider and Angel quickly shot the demon moving toward the vision, not wanting it to fade. ‘ _Angel, it hurts!_ ’

“ _I know._ ” Angel whispered and Helsa gave him a strange look again, adjusting her grip as she dragged him forward. “I’m trying Al.”

‘ _There’s no room!_ ’ Alastor screamed, the voice echoing in Angel’s mind as the pain flared, finally colliding against the bubbling that had been growing inside him. As it they collided, Angel felt a brief relief, the bubbles surging to push back whatever the Seviathan was trying to take from Alastor and pour into Angel.

“ _Helsa, something in me is fighting back._ ” Angel managed to pant, lifting his arms to shoot two more demons as Helsa moved, but it was obvious they had slowed down too much. They were quickly becoming surrounded again and Angel dropped his arms as the pain returned, surging toward his barrier. “ _Something…is keeping me from absorbing it._ ”

“Don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, but we still have to get you out of here.” The Eldritch growled, using her hair to knock away another demon. “The ritual is gonna keep trying to force more and more of Alastor into you, until it breaks or kills you both.”

“Hey, Angel!” Angel quickly glanced up as he heard a voice he never expected to hear, and a pair of red wings appeared above him. Husk hovered in the air above the pair, looking down as he gazed over the crowd closing in on them. Angel was surprised as he felt Helsa scoop him up in her hair, before he found himself launched into the air.

“Get him fuckin’ out of here!” She yelled, Husk barely managing to catch the spider as he arched towards him in the air. The cat grunted as Angel’s full weight hit him and the spider growled at being in the cat’s arms. “He need to leave our territory now! The ritual’ started.”

“Thanks, already fuckin’ know that.” Husk grunted, adjusting Angel in his arms as he started to fly away, the crowd below reacting to Angel’s new location. Despite the constant flow of unbearable pain and relief, Angel tried to push himself out of Husk’s arms: it was one thing to accept Helsa’s help, but he didn’t trust Husk in the slightest. The cat growled as he gripped Angel tighter, glaring at the spider. “Fuckin’ stop it already before you make me drop you.”

“Put me-”

“I’ve done enough to Alastor, and I ain’t gonna waste my only chance to make it up to him.” Angel paused as he heard Husk’s words, still distrustful as he stared.

“Alastor…knows?”

“Yeah, I already told him about my deal with Lucifer. But I’ve lost, and the least I can do is try to make it up to him.” Husk glared down at Angel, jerking to the left as something flew by them. Angel noticed that the demons below were now throwing anything they could find to try and ground Husk, completely ignoring Helsa as she continued to cut a path through them, attempting to keep up with the cat’s flight. “Still can’t stand your slutty ass, but you’re the one he wants.”

Angel opened his mouth to answer when a burning pain filled his leg and he felt the warm blood as it dripped down his fur. One of the objects had managed to skim him, ripping a gash into the pants Angel wore and tearing open his leg. Husk rose higher to the air, managing to avoid the next object thrown at them, but the air around them seem to grow warm and Angel closed his eyes as the pain inside him increased.

“Fuck, guess he does react when he wants to.” Angel opened his eyes as Husk turned, hovering in the air as Angel saw Lucifer appear below them. The King stood calmly in front of the horde, making no attempt to stop them from throwing objects at the pair. In fact, Lucifer seem unbothered by everything going on, tipping his hat to Helsa as he passed her, making his way to the demon who had managed to harm Angel. The King stopped in front of the poor creature, which was already reaching for something else to launch at the pair.

The demon never got a chance as its arm was severed from its body and the pain seemed to release the demon from its daze, the creature screaming in pain as Angel’s eyes grew wide. He hadn’t even _seen_ Lucifer move: in fact, the king still held his same pose, his hands in front of him on his cane as he smiled down at the creature in front of him. With the cry, the other demons near Lucifer paused, seemingly focusing on him instead.

“ _Lucifer…Lucifer…_ ” They chanted, and the King chuckled, seemingly amused.

“Ah, Fredrick, still up to your old tricks I see. I had hoped you would get more creative as time went on.” Lucifer sighed, the demon in front of simply falling apart in a bloody heap, once again without Lucifer seemingly doing anything. The king sighed, glancing over his shoulder to smile at Angel, before lifting his gaze higher to Husk. “Tick tock, kitty cat.”

Husk scowled, continuing forward as he dodged another object thrown at them, and Angel was forced to look away as Lucifer’s grin grew wider. The spider was soon distracted as another wave of intense pain rippled through him and he realized that the bubbling was being pushed back little by little with each wave of fire.

“Fuck, Look out!” Angel barely had time to react as Husk jerked him to the side, and he heard as whatever was thrown pierced deep into Husk’s side. The pair was sent hurtling into the ground, the cat still managing to keep Angel from hitting the ground first, although the spider was bounced from the cat’s grip as they slid along the ground. Angel turned to look at Husk, his eyes wide as he saw the pole sticking out of the cat’s side. The horde of demons were only slightly behind the cat, and Angel knew they would ignore him now, as stopping Angel was their only goal. He failed to see Helsa anywhere, meaning the horde must’ve managed to slow her down. Husk’s growl brought Angel’s attention back to him as he kept glaring at the spider, spitting up blood as he spoke. “ _Keep fucking moving, Angel Dust._ ”

Angel growled as he nodded, attempting to stand. As he crawled forward, another wave of pain shot through his body, pushing the bubbling back further. Angel gritted his teeth as he fell back to the ground, the pain in his leg and in his soul making it impossible for him to walk. _Fuck,_ he had to keep moving: he _had to save himself this time._ He couldn’t wait for Alastor, no, he _needed to save Alastor, save them both from Seviathan._

 _“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”_ Angel growled, hearing as the chanting grew closer to him and he did his best to pull himself along the ground, still clutching his gun in his hand.

“Well, Anthony. It seems our time has come.” Angel glanced up as he heard the King’s voice, Lucifer landing gently on the ground in front of him with his six wings. The King was covered in blood and slime, and he smiled brightly down at the Spider as he knelt. He extended his hand out, his expression menacing as he chuckled.

“Ready to make a deal?”


	30. Our Deal with Him

Alastor did his best to walk along the street, angry and annoyed by all the demons watching him as he struggled to move. He had been forced from his shadow as soon as the pain started, and for a moment, Alastor was no longer in his body, instead trapped in a void of darkness. He would then be shoved back into his flesh prison, collapsed on the ground again, forced to stand himself up and move as much as he could before the cycle repeated.

As soon as Alastor realized the ritual had started, he forced Husk to leave him behind. The cat had been hesitant, wanting to carry the prince but Alastor had vehemently refused, glaring into the eyes of his old friend.

“If you want to save me, make it up to me, then go save him.” The radio demon had growled, and Husk reluctantly went, leaving Alastor alone in the street. For a while Alastor had been able to move relatively normally, the pain and blackouts being short enough that he would only waver in a step. Now the pain was unbearable when he was in his own body and the blackouts long enough to force his body to collapse without him in it.

“Alastor!” The prince looked up as Charlie rushed toward him, hellfire sparking behind her as she and Vaggie finally caught up to him. His sister quickly slid herself under Alastor’s arm, her lover taking the other side. “Mom told me. Don’t worry we’ll save Angel.”

“Her fault…to begin with.” Alastor growled, accepting their help without fuss. Charlie grimaced while Vaggie sighed, clearly annoyed about having to help the prince.

“Well, that’s…how Mom is.” Charlie sighed, and Alastor was plunged back into the darkness before he could respond. It was a cold, wet, dark, endless void, only Alastor’s consciousness floating in the space. He knew that he was being pulled into Angel, and each time he returned he was forced to stay longer and longer. How much longer would it be before he would be trapped inside his spider, forever with him, but forever causing him pain? With him always, but no longer able to hold him, to love him, to kiss him? He could sometimes hear Angel’s voice, but it sounded so distant, as if his love was eons away.

“ _Wh-to me?_ ” Alastor caught, wishing he could find the source of the spider’s voice, anything to see his Angel again. He tried to move across the void, but he had no body, no sense of self. Only his thoughts floated endlessly and Alastor leaned forward heavily as he was thrown back into his own body, nearing knocking over the girls who had carried him.

“ _Meirda,_ Alastor.” Vaggie cursed and Alastor was able to force a laugh, the sound rough and coarse as he tried to remember how to use his body again.

“I would take you up on that my dear, but I don’t think Angel would agree.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Alastor paused in his walking, the girls instantly frozen as well.

“Since when did you understand _Spanish, Alastor?_ ”

“Charlie, I think a better question is since when did Alastor talk like Angel?” Vaggie corrected, giving the radio demon a wary glance. Alastor had no answer for her question and no chance to think about giving one, as he was thrown back into the dark void. That…it was not like him to talk like that, especially not to someone like Vagatha: it was a very Angel Dust thing to respond with. But why? Why had he responded that way?

“ _If…Alastor…then…yes._ ” Alastor once again tried to focus on the sound of Angel’s voice, wanting Angel to hear him.

‘ _Angel! Anthony!_ ’ Alastor screamed into the void, wanting nothing more than to reach his spider. This was all his fault, he had to fix it, he _had_ to save Angel.

‘ _It’s alright, Alastor. It’s…gonna be okay._ ’ Alastor was thrown back into his body, once again almost falling to the ground as his legs still failed him. Vaggie and Charlie were doing their best to carry him as they walked, talking. The prince started to say something, but he realized they hadn’t noticed he was back and were talking about him and Angel.

“ _Lien d’espirit?_ ”

“Yea, it’s the Soulbound equivalent for demons like me.” Charlie adjusted her grip on Alastor, doing her best to keep him from slipping. Alastor almost groaned with the increased pain but managed to swallow the sound. The pain from the ritual seemed to be lessening, and Alastor could only hope it meant the spider was safe. “It’s more like, a bond of your essence, everything that makes you, well, you.”

“Isn’t that what your soul is?”

“For sinners, yes, but not for demons. We only have essence, our minds, our power.” Charlie sighed, clearly unhappy to be talking about this subject. “Normally, sinners can’t have a _lien d’espirit_ bond, but Alastor is unique. He has both a soul _and_ essence, being my half-brother.”

“So, their bond evolved.” Vaggie answered and Charlie nodded. “But what does that mean for Angel? If Angel only has a soul and no essence, what happens to him? What is Alastor’s essence bonded to?”

“I-”

Alastor paused, finally planting his feet into the ground as he forced the girls to stop walking. All of the pain suddenly faded, replaced by a rush of warmth that filled every inch of the radio demon. Alastor glanced to his hand as the golden sigil burned through his glove, and he yanked his arms from the girls, gripping his wrist tightly. The sigil’s golden hue slowly turned to a sickly yellow, a dark green, before settling on a deep red, glowing against Alastor’s skin.

“Good to see that _my_ children know the value of getting along.” Alastor and Charlie quickly glanced up as they heard Lucifer’s voice, the outline of the King appearing further down the street in front of them. He was carrying someone in his arms and Alastor knew who immediately as he tried to force his body to move forward.

“Angel!” The spider quickly sat up in the king’s arms and Alastor was relieved to feel the spider’s happiness fill him.

“Al!” Lucifer dropped Angel as the spider moved toward the prince, and Alastor noticed the gash in the spider’s pants as Angel limped toward him. Tears were streaming down both of their faces as Angel fell into Alastor’s arms, the couple collapsing to the ground with their joint fatigue. “You’re alright.”

“I should be saying that about you.” Alastor cried, running his hand along the gash in Angel’s leg to heal it. “Angel, I’m so sorry, I never-”

“No, Alastor. I’m sorry. I-”

“You two are _disgusting._ ” Alastor looked up sharply as Helsa appeared behind Lucifer and Alastor growled, wrapping his arms protectively around the spider as she scoffed. The Eldritch sister sighed, dismissing her spear as she looked up to Charlie, the princess and her girlfriend moving closer to Alastor and Angel. “Charlotte. Vaggie.”

“Helsa.” Vaggie said curtly, but Alastor was able to detect a hint of venom in her voice. He kept his eyes locked on the Overlord as she looked back down to him, beaming a mischievous smile.

“Well, I did my part. Angel is safe and there’s no way I’m heading home to deal with Dad. Mind if I see your little project, Charlie?”

“Wait-” Alastor cut of his sister before she could speak, narrowing his eyes at Helsa. “You helped Angel?”

“Yeah, her and Bethesda are the one who freed me and Helsa helped me to fight my way here.” Angel confirmed, and Alastor frowned as he looked down at the spider. He knew Angel was telling the truth, but there was…something hollow to what he said. Something missing, and Alastor couldn’t quite place what it was. “She wanted you to owe her.”

“Yes, it seems I do.” Alastor agreed, glaring up at the smug smile on Helsa’s face. The Eldritch sister chuckled, running her one arm through her hair. “Although I hope she understands I have more _important_ things to attend to right now.”

“No rush, Al. You know what I want.” Helsa shrugged, waking over to Charlie as she continued laughing. Alastor glanced up to see his sister looking down at him, her smile uncomfortable as she nodded to Lucifer. Alastor returned his attention to their father as Lucifer beamed, his grin as wide as possible as he stood, his white coat drenched in blood and slime. Lucifer was looking at Angel and the spider slowly turned to look at the King, lacing his fingers with Alastor’s hand.

“I expect to see you both back in the Palace tomorrow.” Lucifer finally laughed. “Alastor needs to pass his test, and the prince’s Husband should be by his side.”

“Wait, Father- you…you recognize Angel?” Charlie called out, and Lucifer turned his smile to her, although it was a little colder than the one he had beamed at Alastor and Angel. “He’s…”

“Equal to your Vagatha, since you’re still my _daughter._ ” The King hissed, and Charlie and Alastor flinched with the way he addressed her. “Worthy to be with a child of mine, worthy to be their partner. The spider earned it.”

Angel flinched as the king spoke and Alastor quickly glanced down as he noticed a brand similar to his own appearing on Angel’s hand, glowing the same deep red his own brand now glowed. He quickly looked up to look at the spider’s face and Angel was smiling, but Alastor could feel his shame and regret.

“I had too, Smiles. It was the only way. The only to save you.”

“ _What did you take from him?_ ” Alastor demanded, finally rising to his feet with Angel in his arms. The spider clung to him, their branded hands still laced together. “ _What did you steal?_ ”

“Only what was required, and he gave it willingly.” Lucifer answered and Alastor wanted to scream with the cryptic answer. “I won’t allow weakness to replace me and Lily.”

“ _What did you-_ ”

“M’ Soul, Al. I gave up my soul, so you could keep yours.” Angel whispered, causing all eyes to shift to him. Alastor’s heart pounded in his chest as he felt Angel’s shame and regret increase and he could feel tears welling in his eyes to match the ones building in Angel’s. The spider met his gaze slowly, quickly looking away again. “It was the price to stop the ritual, and the only way he’d ever recognize me. It was mine or yours, so I gave up mine.”

“Angel, you-”

“Maybe don’t have a public fight this time, Al.” Helsa interrupted, and Alastor suddenly noticed the crowd that had built up around the pair. He had been so focused on Angel and Lucifer he had forgotten the were in the middle of the street, and quite a crowd of demons had formed on both sides to watch what was happening. Alastor did his best to take a deep breath, taking Angel’s branded hand, and laying a kiss on it.

“I’m not…angry, simply…surprised.” Alastor spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully as he looked up to meet Angel’s gaze. He was…upset, but he needed to handle this with tact, and not repeat his actions at the club. “But she is correct, we should discuss this privately.”

“Tomorrow, boys.” Lucifer reminded them before his wings engulfed him and he was gone, a black stain being the only proof he had ever stood before them. Charlie and Vaggie turned to Helsa, and the Eldritch sister waited expectantly.

“I’m guessing you two are going to the tower?” Vaggie sighed, looking up to Angel with a sad smile. “Gonna miss it after while, Angel.”

“You would’ve done the same for Charlie.” Angel whispered and Vaggie’s closed her eye, touching her eye patch gently as she turned away.

“Yeah, I would have.” Vaggie started to walk back down the street, Charlie and Helsa following behind her. Alastor tapped the ground with foot, the couple slowly sinking into the ground until no one was left standing in the street.


	31. Comfort in your Arms

Alastor released Angel once they arrived back in the Tower, and the spider collapsed onto the couch. Alastor could feel how weary Angel was but he knew he couldn’t wait to have his answer.

“I’m sorry, Al. I knew you wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t have many options.” Angel sighed, and Alastor remained silent, sitting down softly next to Angel. The spider immediately leaned against him, and the prince allowed it, for once not caring that Angel hadn’t asked first. Angel stroked the gold on his new jacket lightly, sighing as he did so. “Wonder if my outfit gets to be as fancy.”

“Hopefully something sexy, if I’m lucky.” Alastor smiled, once again noticing his language was not his own and this time Angel noticed as well. The spider leaned up slightly, giving the radio demon a strange look.

“Huh.”

“What?”

“You…already sound more like me.” With this Alastor pushed Angel up fully, sliding away so he could sit facing the spider. Angel mimicked his position, his sadness bouncing between them. “I…didn’t want you to have to sacrifice anymore, Al. I’m sorry.”

“What exactly was your deal with Lucifer?” Alastor spoke as calmly as he could, doing his best to look at Angel as he spoke. He knew Angel could feel his slight anger, but the prince was determined to try and not let it get the better of him. Not this time. “What were…the terms?”

“In order to stop the ritual and restore your soul, I had to give up mine.”

“Restore…my soul?” Alastor repeated as the spider nodded, and the radio demon waited, giving Angel a chance to continue.

“He…the mark was erasing your soul, bit by bit. Lucifer wanted to leave you only with your demonic essence and erase your mother’s ‘taint’ from you.” The spider sighed and Alastor was surprised by how…empty Angel sounded as he said it. “Lucifer said I could change that, but I’d have to share my soul with you, restoring you to what you had and he would erase the rest.

“Lucifer considers it weakness if we both have a soul, but he was willing to let _one_ of us have one, thanks to Lilith. She originally had a soul as well, but she let him take it away, choosing to be a full demon for him.” Angel continued, and Alastor looked away, staring into his kitchen. The radio demon slowly stood, walking away to retrieve his kettle and he felt Angel’s concern as he began to fill the kettle with water. “I know you hate him, and I knew you would have told me not to, but…the ritual was hurting us. Hurting you. You suffered so much to protect me, I couldn’t let Seviathan take all that away. I- ”

“Angel.” Alastor interrupted the spider’s tirade and the Tower fell into a heavy silence as the prince considered what he wanted to say. “What effect will it have on you?”

“I…Lucifer said I’ll become like Lilith over time, more demonic and less…human. I’ll lose my ability to empathize and become…distant. You’ll…pick up some traits from me, since some of my soul rests in you now. Also being…uh _li-…lie-_ ”

“ _Lien d’espirit._ ”

“That with you, might mitigate it, since you will still have half. After all, neither Luc or Lilith had souls anymore once they bonded. At best, I’ll just become a little detached from other sinners.” Alastor hummed as he moved the kettle to the stove and he heard at Angel stood, slowly moving into the kitchen. The spider leaned against the counter next to Alastor, both of them standing in silence for a moment. Then: “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, Angel. I would…have done the same for you.” Alastor sighed, motioning for Angel to move so he could reach their mugs. He handed the spider his, keeping his hand on the cup as he looked up into Angel’s pink eyes. The spider’s eyes seemed softer and yet cloudy, and Alastor did his best to smile. “For now, I guess we have to see…what happens.”

“You…aren’t as mad as I thought you would be.” Angel ventured and Alastor scoffed, releasing the cup as he moved to retrieve the tea bags and sugar. “Your emotions are…surprisingly calm.”

“Oh, I am sure my anger will rise later, Angel.” Alastor hummed, selecting a mint tea for himself before handing the container to Angel. He watched as the spider thumbed over the selection, trying to decide what he was in the mood for. “I’m simply happy you’re safe. I…should have listened to you sooner. If I had, maybe, maybe none of this would have had to happen.”

“Well, both of us made some stupid choices these past four months.” Angel offered, settling on chai as Alastor nodded, resting his hand on the spider’s again. Their eyes met again as Alastor felt Angel’s regret and fear rise and he understood how much the spider’s deal had affected him. Angel made the only choice he felt he had, but he was scared, he was regretful, worried about what he had given up.

Alastor turned fully to face Angel again, gently stroking his glove against Angel’s fur. The spider leaned into the touch, raising two of his hands to hold Alastor’s as he closed his eyes. Alastor wrapped his free hand around the spider’s waist and Angel returned the favor in kind, gripping the radio demon tightly with his lower arms.

“ _I’m scared._ ”

“I know. So am I.” Alastor admitted, rubbing his thumb against the spider’s cheek. Angel sighed heavily, his regret washing over the prince again. “We’ll get through this, Angel. Together this time. No more…no more leaving the other behind.”

“ _Yeah._ ” Angel agreed and Alastor smiled at the soft happiness he felt in the sea of regret and he focused on that feeling, pulling Angel’s face down to his. Their lips only brushed softly before Alastor began to pull away, but Angel tightened his hold on the prince, and Alastor was surprised as he met Angel’s eyes. He didn’t feel any hints of arousal and yet Angel’s arm held him tightly, the spider sliding on of his hands toward Alastor’s tail.

“Angel, wha-” But Alastor’s words were cut off as Angel’s fingers brushed through his fur, and Alastor gripped the spider tighter, digging his hand into the spider’s waist. Angel gasped slightly, his breathing audible as Alastor finally felt the arousal rising and he pulled Angel down for another kiss, pushing the spider into the counter. Angel gripped the jacket, wrapping his legs around Alastor as the radio demon assaulted his mouth. Alastor pulled back, slightly surprised by his own eagerness: his tail was his weak spot and touching it always bothered him, but this…was surprisingly different.

“You know you’re supposed to wait until the wedding night to consummate, right?” Angel teased and Alastor laughed, fully setting Angel onto the counter, reaching to remove the kettle from the heat as it started to whistle. Something told him they no longer needed tea.

“Ah, but how could you deny me such a wonderful meal, _mon meuf?_ ” Alastor cooed, sliding his hand into the rip in Angel’s pants as he tore them higher, revealing that Angel wasn’t wearing any underwear. Alastor chuckled, removing his glove before gently touching Angel’s moist opening. “No bloomers, Angel? You’re practically tempting me.”

“Well, I didn’t dress m’self today!” Angel blushed as Alastor laughed, pushing his finger in slightly. Angel moaned as he gripped the radio demon tightly again, Alastor sighing happily with the emotions that filled him. He explored the spider’s inner depths with his fingers, feeling himself grow aroused as Angel moaned, their combined arousal pushing away other thoughts. “ _I…hate that he got me one last time._ ”

“ _Never again, my love._ ” Alastor promised, pushing his finger in deeper as Angel gasped, burying his face into Alastor’s shoulder. The radio demon closed his eyes as he slid his free hand under the shirt Angel wore, surprised to find fresh marks in the spider’s fur. “ _Did he hurt you?_ ”

“One of them did. I don’t remember what happened when they took me.” Angel admitted and Alastor growled as he pressed himself more into Angel, almost enjoying the pain that echoed in his own body. He felt as Angel’s member throbbed against his stomach and Alastor slid his fingers out of the spider, spreading the spider’s juices over it instead. Angel shivered in his arm, gripping Alastor tightly again. “ _Cazzo, Al…_ ”

“ ** _They will pay for hurting you._** ” Alastor promised, his voice low and deep as he continued stroking his Angel, his heart jumping with every sound that flowed from those lovely lips. “ ** _All of them._**”

“ _Don’t Al. Just focus on us._ ” Angel begged, placing gentle kisses against the radio demon’s collar as he moaned. “ _Please._ ”

Alastor closed his eyes, trying to swallow his anger. _Later,_ he could always be angry _later._ Alastor pulled away from Angel, chuckling at the disappointment that filled the half-naked spider on his counter. The prince held his hand out and gently helped Angel off the counter, pulling the spider back into his arms.

“This would be better finished upstairs.” Alastor hummed, holding the spider close as they sunk into his shadow. For the rest of today, he would focus on Angel: tomorrow, all of Hell would know his _wrath._


	32. A Prince's Wrath

“ ** _Father.”_** Alastor slammed open the doors to the throne room, Angel trailing behind the prince silently. The radio demon was unsurprised to see both the King and Queen sitting on their thrones, Charlie sitting on hers beside her mother and Vagatha next to her. The Eldritchs were standing off to the side, Bethesda seemingly pleased as Fredrick and Seviathan scowled as Alastor walked up to them. Helsa was disconnected from the proceedings and across from the Overlord family stood Husk and Mimzy. Just as Alastor had predicted, Lucifer had gathered all involved in his little scheme, setting the stage for Alastor.

“Quite the venom in your voice this morning, son.” Lucifer chuckled, looking down as Alastor approached the bottom steps. As he past her, Alastor snapped his fingers and Helsa screamed as she was consumed in Hell flame before the fire died, her body now completely healed and restored to its pre-destroyed state. The Eldritch sister scoffed as she brushed herself off, flexing her fingers on both hands.

“ _Asshole._ ” She murmured but Alastor never took his gaze off Lucifer, snapping again as he grabbed Seviathan and Husk in his tentacles. Fredrick only huffed and Bethesda faked a moan of concern, but it was easy to tell that she was excited to see what Alastor would do to her son.

“ ** _Never again._** ” Alastor demanded, finally pausing at the bottom step as Angel stood at his side, weaving his lower hand into Alastor’s. “ ** _Play with me or Angel ever again, and I will refuse to be your heir._** ”

“ _Hmhm,_ are you threatening me Allie boy?” Lucifer almost seemed amused by Alastor’s words and the prince growled, squeezing his two victims in his tentacles. “I’ve told you before abo-”

“ ** _No threats, Father. A Promise._** ” Alastor interrupted, releasing Angel to walk up the steps to stand in from of the King directly. He heard both Charlie and Lilith gasp with surprise at his brazen action but Alastor was no longer willing to let Lucifer look down on him. No, he would force Lucifer to meet his gaze, and he growled as he stood in front of the King’s throne. Lucifer smiled a dangerous smile at the prince, their faces almost matching in their anger. “ ** _I am not your plaything._** ”

“I’d watch my tone, _Alastor._ ” Lucifer stood, summoning his wings as he met Alastor’s gaze, but the radio demon refused to back down. “ _You may be my heir, but I am still **King.**_ ”

“ _And I don’t give a **shit.**_ ” Alastor chuckled, almost amused by how much he sounded like his love. “ _Play with us again, and I will **never replace you.** And you’ll have to accept that disappointment you hate you so much._”

“Alastor, be nicer to your sister.” Lilith gasped and Alastor turned his eyes to her, his glare only softening slightly.

“ ** _The same goes for you Lilith._** ” Alastor growled but the queen shrugged, hiding her smile behind her hand.

“Like I told you, this was all Luci’s game from the start, I only joined to give you a fair chance.” Lilith beamed, giggling softly before her eyes flashed, her smiling curling. “I haven’t forgotten what you promised me, little Alastor.”

“ _Nor have I, Lilith._ ” Alastor turned back to Lucifer, the King still glaring at the prince. Alastor knew that for once, he was the one who had pushed Lucifer into a corner. Despite the risks in the game, the prince knew that Lucifer would have _never_ allowed Fredrick and Seviathan to succeed, even if he had managed to push Alastor and Angel apart. He merely would have killed Angel, ending the ritual and saving Alastor’s essence. But he had lost, and Alastor was no longer willing to play by the King’s rules. He and Angel _could not_ be separated except by death and that gave Alastor strength and confidence.

“ _I could kill him right now, Allie boy._ ” Lucifer threatened, but Alastor shook his head.

“ ** _And I’d step down as your heir. Would you prefer to have Charlie back?_** ”

“ _You’d spend eternity in the lowest plane._ ”

“ ** _Any plane is torture without him._** ” Alastor shot back, refusing to back down and Lucifer growled louder, Hell flame rising at the King struggled not to change into his demonic form. Alastor had never seen it, nor did he desire to, but he would not back away out of fear. If it was strength that Lucifer wanted, then he had to take it in every form, even the one he didn’t want. “ ** _I will not allow you to torment us any longer._** ”

Silence filled the throne room as all waited to see the King’s reaction, and Alastor could feel Angel’s worry as the silence dragged on. Alastor did his best to send reassurance to his partner, relieved as he felt the worry fade. Lucifer finally sat back in his throne, his smile still angry but almost impressed as he looked up to Alastor, retracting his wings as he sat. Lilith chucked from her throne and Charlie sighed with relief, grabbing Vaggie’s hand tightly.

“ _You are **just** like your mother. So powerful, and yet, so stubborn._” Lucifer sighed and Alastor growled, refusing to move until he heard what he wanted to hear from the king. Lucifer scowled, finally looking away from Alastor. “Fine, _Alastor._ You and your Angel had earned your place, there are no more needs for games.”

“ ** _Good._** ” Alastor quickly walked down the steps, turning to the eldritch he held in his grasp. Seviathan was watching the prince defiantly, but Alastor could feel his fear as he approached.

“ _You’re still just a bastard, Alastor._ ” Seviathan spat and Alastor laughed, the sound filling the throne room.

“And you are still just a whiny child.” Alastor chuckled, turning to look back at Angel, watching as the spider walked up to him, Angel’s anger filling him. “But I’m not the one who will be punishing you today.”

“What? That fuckin’ slut thinks he can-” But Seviathan was cut off as Angel ripped off his arm, handing the limb to Alastor. The radio demon graciously accepted it, loving the savage glee he felt from his love as the spider turned to Seviathan again.

“You always did talk too much, Sev. Never knew when to shut your mouth. But it’s thanks to you that I realized the other thing I could share with Alastor.” Angel laughed, holding the Eldritch by the throat as Alastor released the Overlord, turning to face Husk in his other appendage. “Let me show you my thanks.”

Alastor walked away as he heard Angel rip off the Overlord’s other arm, and he delighted in the sound of gushing blood and cracking bone behind him as Angel tormented his former tormentor. The fatigue he would feel from sharing his essence with Angel was worth it to feel the happiness and pleasure pouring from his lover. From the look on Bethesda face, she was more than ecstatic at the display, and she clung to Fredrick desperately as they watched. The Master Eldritch held his same cold expression, refusing to even glance at either Seviathan or Alastor.

“ ** _I should give you the same treatment, Husk._** ” Alastor spat as he stood in from the cat, turning his gaze over to Mimzy as she shivered. “ ** _You too, Mimzy._** ”

“Can’t take it back, Alastor. I might not have stayed if Lucifer hadn’t asked, but my actions were my own. No one asked me to torment you and…you’re right.” Mimzy breathed, attempting a soft smile. “ I…I was wrong too. For what it’s worth, I’ll try. To forgive you. Maybe I _can_ sing for you again one day.”

“ _Maybe._ ” Alastor turned to glare at Husk. The cat was still refusing to meet his gaze, but Alastor could feel Husk’s grim acceptance of the situation. “ ** _You deserve so much worse than the Pit._** _”_

“Can’t say you’re wrong.” Husk shrugged and Alastor growled at the cat’s return to nonchalant behavior. Husk’s ears twitched as he sighed, still looking to the floor. “I already apologized to you and Niffty, and I did the only thing I could to make it up to you both.”

“ ** _Both?_** ”

“I had Charlie break my bond with Niffty. She deserves someone who wants her, not someone who settled for her.” Husk growled, and Alastor felt the tiniest bit of his anger begin to fade again. “I wasn’t able to completely save Angel, but I did what I could, got him to where Lucifer could finish the ritual. I’m…content.”

“ ** _I’m not._** ”

“I don’t expect it, Alastor. I…fucked up, multiple times and I accept that. Might as well choose the plane you want me to suffer on and leave it at that.” Husk sighed, finally turning to meet the radio demon’s gaze. The cat’s spirit was broken and Alastor couldn’t help his delight as he pondered which plane to send Husk too. Even if Alastor _did_ want to forgive the cat, Husk had made a deal with Lucifer, so he was doomed to eternal torment regardless of what Alastor did. But the prince did know that Husk preferred if Alastor sentenced him over Lucifer, so he could at least do that for his part in saving Angel.

“ _I think Torture of the Mind is perfect for you_.” Alastor finally spoke, the sigil on his hand glowing as the portal opened beneath the cat and Alastor grinned a genuine smile as Husk sighed. “ _Maybe, in a few hundred years once I’m King, we can share another drink, Husker._ ”

“We’ll see asshole.” Husk smirked, and Alastor dropped Husk into his new prison, the floor sealing up quickly behind him. Alastor released a deep breath, turning back to glare at Fredrick and the Master Eldritch was still refusing to look at the prince, keeping his gaze on his wife. Alastor began toward the Overlord and Fredrick finally spoke.

“Get your whelp, Lucifer, before he makes a fool of himself.” Alastor felt Angel’s concern as he continued toward the Master Eldritch, and both Bethesda and Helsa stepped away from Fredrick. Alastor heard as Lucifer laughed above them, clearly having no intention of stopping the radio demon.

“You heard him earlier, he doesn’t care about what I say.” The king laughed, Alastor pausing just in front of the Overlord, Hellfire radiating from his hands. Fredrick finally turned to look down on him, glaring at the prince as Alastor growled. Alastor had been able to look through Angel’s memories and discover what had happened when the spider was taken from the Tower. Fredrick had done _more_ than hurt his spider, and the prince was determined to make the Overlord pay. “Besides, if he can’t at least hold his own against you, does he deserve to replace me any more than Charlie?

“He’s shown how easily he can defeat your brats, let’s see him take on the Master of the House.” Alastor glanced up as Lucifer stood from his throne, his smile once again bright and full of malice. “Let’s see what you’ve learned, Alastor.”


	33. My Vengeance

Angel stood up from Seviathan, releasing the essence he had been borrowing from Alastor as the radio demon faced down Fredrick. The remnants of the Eldritch groaned beneath him, and Angel scoffed, completely turning away from Seviathan. There was something cathartic about being able to disembowel and torture his abuser: when this was all over, he might have to take Alastor up on hunting down his father. The spider was filled with the prince’s rage and desire for revenge, and Angel fully supported what Alastor wanted to do. After Alastor had finished pleasuring him, the radio demon had managed to access the memories that Fredrick had forced Angel to forget.

Fredrick had met the spider as soon as he opened the door, causing Angel to reel away immediately. The spider had attempted to summon one of his guns, but Fredrick wasted no time in pinning the spider to the ground, his slimy white tentacles wrapping all around Angel’s body.

“Don’t understand.” Fredrick had muttered, looking down at the spider as he stood over him and Angel yelped as the tentacles started to move around his body, the Master Eldritch attempting to inspect the spider’s fur. The Overlord frowned more as he reached Angel’s intimate parts, touching and violating him without a second thought. “You’re not a man or woman. Why would _anyone_ want you?”

“Fuck off, Freddy.” Angel spat and found his head slammed into the ground, the Master Eldritch having stepped on his head for his smart words. Angel’s vision starts to swim as he felt the tentacles slip inside and Angel was happy that he passed out, not being forced to deal or remember Fredrick violating his body. Alastor had been furious that both Seviathan _and_ Fredrick had violated Angel, almost to the point for taking the spider right then and there. Angel had talked him down however, reminding Alastor that they owed Lilith and considering Alastor had yet to have sex with Angel again, he had no doubt that’s what Lilith would want from them.

Angel was taken out of his memories as he felt a wave of heat and he looked up blankly as Alastor summoned his own tentacles, the dark appendages covered in Hellfire as Alastor half shifted into his demonic form. Fredrick growled, shifting into his own ethereal demonic form as the tentacles dove for him, and Alastor burned away the slime that splashed toward him. Angel watched as Fredrick sank into a puddle of slime while Alastor was distracted and Angel frowned, crossing his arms.

‘ _Below you, Al. Fredrick is using the slime to move around you._ ’ Alastor stepped away just as Fredrick’s dark arm reached out from a puddle beneath him. Alastor quicky grabbed the arm with his tentacles, but Angel jerked his hand under his arm, grabbing Alastor with a tentacle as Fredrick’s white tentacles rose from another puddle of slime. Alastor burned away the puddle the tentacles rose from, forcing Fredrick to withdraw them. Filled with their combined anger, Angel couldn’t help his scowl as he passed more thoughts to the prince. ‘ _Pay attention, Smiles._ ’

‘ _Thank you Angel, but **don’t do that again.**_ ’ Alastor growled and Angel shrugged, noticing as more puddles started to fill the space around the prince. Angel could barely see Fredrick’s demonic form reflected in the liquid, the monstrous reflection appearing more demonic and stranger in the viscous puddles. Alastor forced the appendage to release him as he stood on top of it, scowling at the reflection of the Eldritch in the puddles below him. ‘ _You don’t have good control yet._ ’

‘ _I’m not about to let Fredrick kill you._ ’ Angel shot back, jerking his hand again as Fredrick’s arms rose to grab the prince and the tentacle pulled the prince away as Alastor flashed Hellfire from his hands, managing to burn Fredrick’s hands before the creature could with draw them. Fredrick’s head rose from another puddle, glaring over to Angel as the spider shrugged. Alastor took the chance to leap down on the ground, burning away Fredrick’s head as he slammed his mic into the ground, fire quickly radiating out to burn away all the puddles on the floor.

“ _A cheater, just like your father.”_ Fredrick growled, duplicates of himself rising around the prince. Angel noticed that the Eldritch was doing his best to keep his demonic form hidden, only ever allowing pieces of himself to appear at a time. Even the duplicates were of Fredrick’s normal appearance and the spider looked down as a puddle appeared at his feet. Angel’s eyebrows twitched as he saw the sickly green eyes below him and he barely felt fear underneath all of the anger that filled his body.

‘ _He’s hiding his demonic form to avoid damage, Al._ ’ Angel stepped back as Fredrick rose from the puddle, his monstrous demonic form looming over the spider. Tentacles swarmed around the Eldritch’s body and Angel wasn’t sure if the tentacles made up his form, or merely covered it. He felt Alastor’s slight concern as the prince dealt with the doubles, but Angel sighed, looking up to meet the Eldritch’s gaze.

“ _I wouldn’t Fredrick._ ” Lucifer chimed from his throne, his voice laden with his mirth as he called out. “ _I **am** still honor bound to protect the spider if you harm him._”

“ _I am aware what you’re willing to protect him from._ ” The Eldritch growled, some of the tentacles unravelling from his body as he reached out to the spider. Alastor’s rage slammed into Angel more as the prince rose from the spider’s shadow, lifting him away from Fredrick. Alastor managed to burn away the tentacles reaching for them, finally causing Fredrick to growl in pain as the Eldritch sunk back into his slime.

“ ** _I’m done with this._** ” Alastor growled, reaching deep into all the existing puddles with his tentacles, the portals covering the floor in a patching work of red portals and green slime. Angel felt as the prince flinched with pain, but the tentacles continued reaching into the slime, the prince determined to drag Fredrick from his subspace. Angel wrapped his arms around the prince, reaching underneath the prince’s coat to stroke his deer tail.

“ _I’m waiting to be cleansed, Alastor._ ” Angel whispered and chuckled as he heard Fredrick cry out with pain, Alastor’s tentacles finally retracting from the slime, the flaming appendages holding various pieces of flesh as they reappeared. The puddles started to shrink as Fredrick was forced out of them, missing large chunks of his form as he reverted back to normal. Bethesda gasped from where she watched but as usual, the expression of glee and arousal betrayed her true feelings about what her husband had experienced.

“Enough, Alastor.” Lucifer finally stepped down as Alastor’s tentacles stopped moments from impaling the Master Eldritch on the ground. Fredrick coughed up a milky white substance followed by a helping of blood, still growling in Alastor and Angel’s direction where the lovers stood. “I still have use for him.”

“ ** _I don’t._** ” Alastor growled, trying to force the appendages forward but the tentacles would not move and Angel gripped Alastor tightly as Lucifer’s eyes glowed dangerously at the prince.

“I have let you have your fun, boy, but I am still the **_King._** ” Lucifer threatened, finally arriving on the same level as them and Angel gasped at the pressure that forced him down to the ground. Alastor looked down surprised, seemingly unaffected by what had pushed Angel to the floor and the spider took a deep breath, trying to relax to keep the pressure from hurting him. Seviathan cried out from more pain and the other Eldritch’s also seemed to be affected, releasing their own cries and moans of pain. “ _Stop while you’re ahead, because you’re not ready to face me._ ”

Angel felt as the prince’s anger exploded, his desire for revenge starting to overwhelm his logic. His control over his demonic form was slipping as more of his face started to fall away, the deer skull looming out of his face as he started to hunch over, his body growing larger. Angel did his best to rise above the inferno, attempting to reach Alastor with his thoughts.

‘ _You’ve won Alastor. Let it go. You can always kill Fredrick when Lucifer is out of the picture._ ’ Angel sighed, slowly standing through the pressure as he grabbed Alastor’s hand. The prince finished standing up the spider as he released his demonic form, Angel using Alastor to keep from falling back to the floor. He looked up to Lucifer who was still smiling, the King’s expression still malicious as he met Alastor’s gaze. Angel flicked his hand, forcing Alastor’s tentacles to withdraw from Fredrick and Lucifer turned his smile to the spider.

“Good to see your Angel understands when to back down.” Lucifer chuckled as Lilith arrived by his side, leaning on her husband in a similar way Angel leaned on Alastor. The spider released his control as Alastor sighed, closing his eyes as he did his best to swallow his anger. Angel glanced around to the throne room, noticing that the only two unaffected by the proceedings were Charlie and Vaggie, who still remained up by the princess’ throne. Charlie’s expression was pained while Vaggie maintained a blank look and Angel met the moth’s eyes.

Vaggie looked down to Angel and for a moment, the spider _swore_ he saw wings behind the moth. But not demonic wings, or moth wings but as soon as the spider blinked, the vision faded and Vaggie had her eyes on the king and queen. Angel stared for a moment longer until he felt Alastor squeeze his waist, and the spider dragged his eyes back down, looking into Alastor’s eyes.

“Let’s go Angel.” Alastor’s rage was still ravaging them both, but the prince did his best to sound calm as Angel nodded and he allowed Alastor to lead him out of the throne room. As soon as they were on the other side of the golden doors, Angel sighed, still unable to shake the vision he had seen of Charlie’s partner. He had always assumed Vagatha was just another sinner, but…was it possible? Could she be an-

“Angel?” The spider was once again taken from his thoughts as Alastor released him, concern starting to replace his rage as he looked up at Angel. Alastor’s fatigue was obvious, and the spider could see the dark stains as the many scars on his body started to bleed through his outfit. Angel did his best to smile, wrapping his arms around the prince. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nuthin’ important. Mind playing tricks on me.” Angel sighed as he scooped Alastor in his arms, walking quickly to get Alastor to his room. “Let’s get you dealt with.”

“ _Merci, mon meuf._ ” Alastor breathed and Angel couldn’t help the smile on his face as he felt the last of Alastor’s anger fade away. The spider took a deep breath, his heart pounding with happiness as he made his way through the palace.


	34. The End With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Smut in this chapter :)

Angel gently pushed open the door to Alastor’s room, making sure to close the door quietly as he made his way to the bed. Angel flinched slightly from pain as he laid the prince on the bed, working quickly to strip Alastor out of the ruined jacket and his heart ached as he saw the bleeding scars.

“Damn, Smiles…” Angel breathed, reaching into his jacket to pull out the drink Alastor had given him earlier. He forced the radio demon to drink it, Alastor flinching with the bad taste as he drank the mixture and sighing heavily as he collapsed back down onto the bed. Angel settled himself as he sat next to his lover, unable to help as his thoughts trailed back to the only other time he had been in this room. “Ya gotta be more careful.”

“Don’t know how, love.” Alastor shrugged and Angel couldn’t help his slight smile. It was _really_ going to take some getting used to, but he kinda liked the difference in Alastor’s speech. A nice reminder that not _all_ of his soul wasn’t gone. Angel was pulled from his thoughts as he felt Alastor’s worry and the spider looked over to see those red eyes looking at him softly. “What is it, Angel?”

“Hmm?”

“You were beginning to feel empty again.” Alastor frowned and Angel’s own brow furrowed as he motioned for Alastor to slide over on the bed. The prince obliged and Angel slid onto the bloody sheets next to his love. He was tempted to wrap his arms around Alastor, but resisted, knowing that it would only make the scars hurt more.

“I was getting lost in thoughts, that’s all Alastor.”

“What about?”

“That I’m glad some part of my soul is still around in you.” Angel smiled, loving the surprise and embarrassment he felt as the prince turned to face him, the couple laying on their sides as they lay side by side. Angel reached over to gently touch Alastor’s face, his smile growing as he looked into the eyes of the demon he loved so much. “That all of my humanity isn’t gone.”

“I will treasure it more than anything, Anthony.” Alastor promised, and the spider chuckled softly at the radio demon’s determination. “I will _never_ give up our soul to anyone.”

“I know Alastor. My soul was yours from the moment it bonded to you, and” Angel paused, sliding closer across the bed to be closer to Alastor. He sighed with the slight pain pressing himself into the radio demon caused but he couldn’t help himself as he pressed his lips against Alastor’s. The prince eagerly returned Angel’s gesture, his hand snaking into the spider’s chest. Angel couldn’t help the moan that escaped him as they kissed, and the first inklings of arousal began to flare between them. Angel forced himself to pull back, panting quietly as he looked into Alastor’s eyes once more. “ _There’s no one else I trust with it more._ ”

“So much pressure you put on me, Angel. So much responsibility.” Alastor chuckled and Angel laughed as well, accepting the radio demon’s kiss as Alastor gripped the spider’s waist tightly, pulling their groins together. Angel was unable to help the way he clung to the radio demon as Alastor grinded into him, assaulting his mouth and his body as their arousal and desire grew. Angel knew this was left over passion from the day before: if not for Angel’s plea against it, Alastor would have ravaged him then, fucked and claimed his spider in the way that was only for him. Even now, Angel knew the prince wanted nothing more than to plunge himself deep into his spider, to cleanse away the violating touch of both Fredrick and Seviathan, to make Angel _his_ again.

‘ _You asked for it._ ’ Angel finally thought as Alastor released his mouth and the prince chuckled, pushing Angel onto his back as he moved between the spider’s legs. Seeing Alastor leaning over him shirtless, that golden grin beamed down at him with all the animalistic desire that the radio demon had for _him,_ and _him alone,_ Angel could understand why Lillith wanted this lust. _Angel wanted this lust._ “ _We should wait, Al._ ”

“Screw Lillith.” Alastor breathed, Angel barely registered as the prince’s tentacles rose from their portals, quickly relieving them both of their clothing. Angel gasped with surprise as he felt Alastor’s member press against his opening, and the prince reached down to stroke the spider’s own throbbing erection. “ _I’m not waiting any longer._ ”

“Al, you shouldn’t be using your powers right no-”

“ _Hush and let me fuck you._ ” Alastor commanded, and Angel’s breath was stolen from him as the prince pushed himself inside. The spider’s hands quickly flew to grip the prince above him, Angel doing his best not to dig his fingers into the tender skin as Alastor filled him. Angel closed his eyes, barely noticing as the tentacles slid away, and instead focusing on this sensation after so long. Alastor always made their bedtime special: the prince had not been kidding when he said he knew how to please a partner without sex, but this…nothing could replace this. The fact it was rare made it all the more special and Angel couldn’t help the shiver of pleasure than ran through his body once Alastor was completely inside him.

“ _Whatever you say, Your Highness._ ” Angel cooed, pulling Alastor down for a kiss as the prince began to move inside him. The feeling of being stretched, of feeling the radio demon move inside him, oh how Angel had missed this, wanted this, _craved this._ Alastor grunted as Angel broke their kiss, panting and moaning as he gripped the prince tightly, loving the feedback of pain and pleasure as he dug his fingers into the still bleeding scars.

“ _Angel~_ ” Alastor growled and the spider felt his body respond, the walls of his opening tightening around Alastor’s throbbing member inside him and his own erection leaking on his stomach as Alastor released him. The prince now slid down on top of Angel, pressing their bodies close together while he continued loving his spider. Alastor slid his hands under Angel’s shoulders, gripping them tightly as he pulled Angel down onto him and the spider gasped, unable to help the loud sound that escaped him. “ _Sweet, Anthony~_ ”

“ _Sí, Alastor~?_ ” Angel panted, his hand sliding down the prince’s back, his fingers brushing against the fur of Alastor’s tail. The hard, heavy thrust that action forced from the prince made Angel weave his fingers into that fur, loving the new hard thrusts the prince was pressing into him. The spider was barely surprised when he was lifted from the bed, Alastor having partly shifted into his demonic form as he bounced the spider off his cock. Alastor had managed to only change his legs and arms, giving the prince the power he needed to bounce the spider on top of him, the power to bury himself deep Angel with every bounce, every thrust and the spider demon was sure he would lose his mind.

“ ** _Angel._** ” The prince grunted, burying his face into the spider’s shoulder, nuzzling his fur before burying his teeth into his neck. Angel nearly screamed from the pleasure, unable to help as he cradled the radio demon’s head against his neck. His ignored member leaked furiously as he was bounded in Alastor’s lap and Angel knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

“ _Cazzo, Al~_ ” Angel moaned, gripping the prince even tighter as he felt his orgasm building. Alastor growled again in response as he kept bouncing Angel on top of him, and the spider dug his finger more into the scars, loving the feeling of blood and pain as he felt the warm black liquid flow over his fur. The ball of warmth that had been building and growing in his middle finally exploded, and Angel moaned loudly as he came, squeezing his legs tightly around the prince as he clung to him, the pleasure rippling through his body. A moment later he felt as Alastor erupted inside him, the prince filling Angel with his seed as he held the spider against him.

“ _I love you, Angel._ ” Alastor moaned as he came, finally releasing the spider’s flesh as Angel moaned, still shivering in the afterglow of his own orgasm. Angel felt his heart swell with the words, and he moaned as he felt Alastor’s orgasm began to end. He felt as Alastor carefully laid them back down, obviously more worn out than before as he collapsed beside his lover. Angel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he laid his hand over his midsection, humming softly as he felt Alastor’s hand rest on his own.

“Perhaps,” Angel opened his eyes as he heard the prince’s voice, looking over to see the soft glow in the radio demon’s eyes as Alastor looked at their hands. The spider was slightly concerned, as all he felt from Alastor was the last threads of pleasure and contentment and he knew Alastor felt his slight worry as the prince raised his eyes to meet Angel’s. “Once we are married, I…”

Angel’s eyes widened as he realized what Alastor was saying and he smiled softly at his lover. He laced his fingers with the hand that rested over his midsection, and Angel forced himself to lean over as he pressed a soft kiss into the prince’s forehead.

“ _Anything for you, my love._ ” Angel whispered, loving the feel of joy and excitement that rose from the overlord in the bed next to him. “But for now, you need rest. You still need to past Lucifer’s test tomorrow so we can go home.”

“Mhmm.” Alastor hummed, closing his eyes as he settled into the bed next to the spider. Angel hummed happily as well, lifting the blanket as he draped it over them. As Angel settled to sleep next to Alastor, he stared up to the ceiling, painfully aware of the hands still resting on his stomach. Once they were married…but how long away was that event? Lucifer had called him Alastor’s husband, but Vaggie was also officially recognized as Charlie’s partner, but the two weren’t married yet. Was there another hurdle, another challenge that had to be overcome in order to marry, or was it simply whenever the pair decided that was what they wanted?

There was also the issue of Valentino: once they were married, Angel doubted Alastor would allow him to continue his sex work, as by then, Angel would have to be at the palace more often, learning to replace Lillith. The moth had been cordial and accommodating as long as he got to keep the spider, but if Angel were taken away completely, would he bow out? Would he accept it, or go back to fighting to get Angel back?

‘ _Questions for another time._ ’ Angel thought to himself, closing his eyes as he began to drift off to sleep. When was not a big concern: all that mattered to Angel was that nothing could come between him and Alastor ever again. They would navigate this Afterlife together, wherever their hearts and soul took them and it had all began with a simple bond.

Funny how strange life can be.


	35. Thank You So much

Gosh It's hard to believe it's actually done. This story and it's predecessor SoulBound were such powerful stories for me, and a joy to write and experiance with all of you. I hope you all have enjoyed this series as much as I enjoyed bringing it too you. 

As far as the Radiodust Saga goes for Soulbound AU, this is it. I don't plan to write anymore for Alastor and Angel. 

However, perhaps after a short break, I may come back and add a Chaggie part of the story, exploring Vaggie and Charlie's relationship and struggles while Alastor and Angel continue training to take what was their future. 

We'll see and regardless Thank you for reading Soul Compass.


End file.
